- > 40th Anniversary Magnum Party
40th Anniversary Magnum Party
R&D's
Tasted Saturday, June 3, 2017 - Sunday, June 4, 2017 by AllRed with 512 views
Introduction
Our very generous friends, R & D, from the blind tasting groups, host an anniversary party on the 5s (30th, 35th, etc.). Married in 1977, this year they celebrated their 40th in epic fashion with another magnum party. They invited members of their three tasting groups over for a casual nonblind, walk around tasting. Heavy hors d'oeuvres, small sandwiches and plenty of desserts were served as well.
There were just over thirty tasters in attendance, yet everyone was very mindful of their pours. So much so that only two bottles were finished that evening: the Ruinart and d'Yquem. With so much wine and food left over, R&D had a few of us back the following day to finish up what remained. R turned up the music and we enjoyed another evening of good wine and fellowship.
Back to Saturday...Domino and I arrived early to help set up and prepare. Rich and I opened the mags in the cellar, where the wines sat until it was time for guests to arrive. We brought up the wines in groups, and only brought up the next group of wines once most of the guests had made their way through the prior set. Wines are listed in the order I tasted them on Saturday night. The bottles that went unfinished were returned to the cellar overnight and then on Sunday we followed the same format, bringing them up in groups. It was fun seeing how these developed overnight.
Flight 1 - Champagne, Whites & Pinots (17 Notes)
Flight 2 - Mixed Reds (9 Notes)
2000 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 89 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Faded crimson color. Notes of red currant, pepper and dried berry fruit with a dusty/earty undertone. Fully resolved tannin. Flavors of red berry fruit and spice with a vegetal quality too. If this is representative, for my palate, this is a bit past peak.
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2000 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 88 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Notes of red fruit, spice and perfume but some oxidation overnight as well. Washed out red currant and spice flavors.
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1999 Copain Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch 89 Points
USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Opens with a nice meaty aroma, with dark fruit and herb notes as well. Fully resolved. Nice dark fruit flavors that turn just a bit stewy in the finish. Peppery spice qualities linger.
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1999 Copain Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch 92 Points
USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Showing significant improvement from last night. Aromas of blueberry, pepper and perfumed floral notes. Flavors of cherry and macerated red berry fruit with Asian spice qualities in the finish. This has developed nicely overnight.
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2003 Ridge Geyserville 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Dark color with notes of red fruit, raspberry jam and florals. Medium-bodied and nicely integrated with flavors of red fruit and spice. Finishes with good length.
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2003 Ridge Geyserville 89 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Floral and red fruit notes with a hint of oxidation underneath. The palate has held up a bit better, showing cherry, strawberry, raspberry and pepper.
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2012 Prisoner Wine Company The Prisoner Flawed
USA, California, Napa Valley
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Corked.
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2002 Robert Biale Petite Sirah Thomann Station 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Deep color with a terrific grapey note along with violets and black raspberry. Flavors of kirsch, black raspberry and currants. Lengthy finish. Very nice. 92+ pts.
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2002 Robert Biale Petite Sirah Thomann Station 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Some improvement overnight. Notes of black raspberry, white pepper, and florals. Cherry and blue fruit flavors on the palate with spice accents underneath. Nice length in the finish.
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Flight 3 - Bordeaux Varieties/Blends (24 Notes)
2005 Château Bahans Haut-Brion 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Tight, and took quite a while to open up. Mixed red and black fruit notes with tobacco and iron undertones. The palate mirrors the bouquet. Medium+ tannins.
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2005 Château Bahans Haut-Brion 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Notes of iron and perfumed red and black fruits. The palate follows the bouquet; good level of fruit showing through. Very nice; opened nicely overnight.
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2005 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Also very tight. Dark fruit with spice and violet notes. Red and black fruit with cherry and vanilla qualities. 88+ pts.
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2005 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Florals and black currants with a touch of earth underneath. Nice fruit on the palate that lingers through the finish. Very pretty.
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2004 Château Pape Clément 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Dark color. Notes of mixed fruit, iron, herb and green tobacco. Medium-bodied with flavors of red plum, currants, iodine and tobacco. Excellent.
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2004 Château Pape Clément 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Notes of iron, dark fruit, herbs, tobacco and iodine. More dark fruit than red on the palate, along with iron and dried herb flavors. Long finish; well-balanced.
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1995 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 97 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Gorgeous right from the start with those wonderful herbal green Pichon Lalande overtones. Red currants and plum along with underbrush and sage. Tannins are integrating nicely on the palate,which is dominated by red fruit flavors. Herb notes with a slight cigar tobacco flavor in the finish. Balanced, with a long finish. My favorite of the big-time Bordeaux on the table as it was clearly, for myself and a few others, the most accessible.
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1995 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 87 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Wow, this has really fallen off from last night. I would have expected some deterioration, but not to this extent. Red fruit and herbal qualities on the nose and palate with a distinct vegetal overtone.
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1995 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Initially a bit tit, this needed some time in the glass to open up. Aromas of tobacco, black currants, plum, asphalt and beef blood. Still somewhat tannic in this format, with black fruit, spice, tobacco and herb flavors. Long finish. 95+ pts. I look forward to retasting this and the Latour tomorrow.
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1995 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Tis has fallen off a bit from last night as well. Notes of asphalt, road tar, black fruit and earthy vegetal notes. Iron and black fruit flavors with a lengthy finish.
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1995 Château Latour Grand Vin 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Tight...wow this needs a lot of air before it starts to show much. I poured a glass and set it aside for a couple of hours. Dark fruit, graphite, herb and forest floor. Firm tannins eventually soften, showing mixed fruit, herb and tobacco flavors. Long finish. I look forward to retasting this tomorrow.
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1995 Château Latour Grand Vin 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. As expected, this opened nicely overnight. Much of the same profile as last night, but amped up. Black fruit, herbs, earth and tobacco along with red fruit as well. Mixed fruit on the palate, along with earth, green tobacco and graphite. Long finish. Powerful but elegant. 96+ pts.
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2001 Joseph Phelps Insignia 94 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Wonderful, with notes of dark fruit, spice, tobacco and plum. Soft tannins. Gorgeous on the palate- dark fruit, plum, herb and spice box. Long finish.
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2001 Joseph Phelps Insignia 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Aromas of plummy dark fruit, chocolate, black raspberry and florals. Nicely balanced. Flavors of dark fruit, mocha and lavender with a long finish. Gorgeous.
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2002 Ridge Monte Bello 91 Points
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Aromas of ripe dark fruit and plum with a subtle violet/floral undertone. Full-bodied, with sweet fine-grained tannins and flavors of dark fruit, oak spice and lavender. Shorter finish than I would have liked. I would expect improvement when we retaste this tomorrow.
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2002 Ridge Monte Bello 94 Points
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Here again, improvement overnight. Aromas of black currants, violets, cassis and plummy dark fruit. Fine tannins with flavors of dark fruit, violets and mineral. Good weight and balance across the palate culminating in a long finish.
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2002 Peter Michael Les Pavots 96 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Lovely notes of currant, black cherry, licorice, violets and plum. Fine tannins; velvety texture. Cassis and black fruit, chocolate and floral flavors. Long finish. Really nice fruit and length here. The class of the California wines tonight.
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2002 Peter Michael Les Pavots 95 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Lovely and complex with notes of black fruit, violets, lavender, milk chocolate, mocha and sandalwood. Plush and velvety texture with silky tannin and flavors of dark fruit, cassis and black cherry with a long, lingering finish. 95-96+ pts.
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2003 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Bouquet of red plum, chocolate, coffee and currants. The palate mirrors the bouquet. Velvety texture. Medium tannins and finish. Excellent.
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2003 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Aromas of florals, plum, red fruit and coffee. Flavors of red and black fruits and vanilla with a candied red fruit quality in the finish.
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2013 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection
USA, California, Napa Valley
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Loads of cassis and black fruit with oak spices and toast. Surprisingly accessible. Firm but fine-grained tannin and flavors of mocha, cassis, raspberry and toasted oak spice.
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2013 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Aromas of grapey dark fruit, currant liqueur and kirsch. Flavors of cassis and vanilla and grapey dark fruit. One glass is plenty, but I do like it in this style.
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2009 Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
USA, California, Napa Valley
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Cassis, black fruit, espresso bean, vanilla and dark chocolate. Lush and modern, with flavors of cassis, chocolate-covered cherry, vanilla and ripe raspberry. Coffee and vanilla notes in the finish.
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2009 Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Aromas of mocha, currants and black fruit- much better tonight- not as over-the-top. Just a touch grapey perhaps, but it works here, and I like it better here than in the Caymus (which is a similar style). Black fruit and coffee on the palate with a lengthy finish. 92-93 pts.
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Flight 4 - Sweeties (3 Notes)
1999 Château d'Yquem 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Light golden color with notes of pineapple and tropical fruit, honeyed orange zest and stone fruit. Nice fruit with a medium finish. I almost missed out on this one as it went fast. The first, and I think the only, magnum to be finished tonight so there won't be another taste if this tomorrow.
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1977 Dow Porto Vintage
Portugal, Douro, Porto
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. This was decanted off its sediment about five hours before it was served. At that point, there were very pretty cherry and violet notes. A few hours later, only the alcohol was noticeable. Hot and alcoholic, not very pleasurable.
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1977 Dow Porto Vintage 94 Points
Portugal, Douro, Porto
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Vastly improved since last night. Aromas of cherry, violets and currants with Asian spice undertones. Cherry and macerated red berry fruit on the palate, with currant and spice tones in the finish. Long and balanced; none of the heat or alcohol from the previous evening. Gorgeous.
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Closing
Happy anniversary R&D, and thank you for including us in your celebration.
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NV Ruinart Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 93 Points
France, Champagne
(6/3/2017)
Lot AI9EC2, from magnum. Pale color with a medium mousse and notes of dried yeast, lemon, apple, and biscuit dough. Fine bead. Citrus, stone and chalk flavors with nice underlying acidity.
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NV Gosset Champagne Brut Excellence 91 Points
France, Champagne
(6/4/2017)
Notes of dried yeast, chalk, limestone and pear. Apple, clay and stone flavors with bright acidity. Medium mousse, fine bead.
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2015 Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc 91 Points
USA, California, North Coast
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Pale color. Lemongrass and grapefruit notes with dominant grassy overtones, almost tending toward green pepper. Melon and lemon flavors with tart acidity.
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2015 Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc 92 Points
USA, California, North Coast
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Lemongrass, honeysuckle and citrus notes. Flavors of lemongrass, limey citrus and peach. The acidity has tamed down a bit. I prefer this more today than yesterday as it's much less grassy.
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2015 Peter Michael Sauvignon Blanc L'Apres-Midi 94 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Loads of citrus in the bouquet and on the palate, with a nice underlying grassy quality as well as a mineral component. Good balancing acidity with a lengthy finish. Gorgeous.
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2015 Peter Michael Sauvignon Blanc L'Apres-Midi 94 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Melon, citrus and unripe peach notes with a nice underlying minerality. Peach, citrus and mineral flavors on the palate. Just a terrific vintage for this wine. Hasn't lost a step overnight.
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2012 Peter Michael Chardonnay Ma Belle-Fille 95 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Peach, apple and honeysuckle notes with just a subtle hint of toast underneath. Full-bodied with an elegant silky texture. Apple and orange with a hint of fig in the finish. The abundant fruit of the 2012 PM Chards carry the oak so very well.
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2012 Peter Michael Chardonnay Ma Belle-Fille 96 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Just terrific. Aromas of pear, fig, melon and honeysuckle with just a hint of something smoky/toasted underneath. Flavors of apple, vanilla, pear and spice- maybe cardamom- with a long finish. Wonderful.
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2013 Lewis Cellars Chardonnay Barcaglia Lane 90 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Tropical. Apple, mango and coconut notes. Rich texture, heavy by comparison to the Peter Michael, with flavors of fig, apple and banana. Long finish. Very good in this style.
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2013 Lewis Cellars Chardonnay Barcaglia Lane 90 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Notes of apple, fig, coconut and banana. Orchard fruit with spicy oak notes in the finish.
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2012 Lewis Cellars Chardonnay Reserve 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
(6/4/2017)
From 750ml, leftover from two nights prior. Smoky apple fruit with a touch of melon. Lacks the tropical fruit of the Barcaglia Lane and I definitely prefer this. Full-bodied with a lengthy finish.
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1998 Frédéric Magnien Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Les Ruchots Reserve Cuvée Unique 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Cherry and macerated red berry fruit with earth and gamy undertones. Fully resolved, showing dark cherry, tea leaf and underbrush flavors with currant and spice notes coming in on the finish. 91-92 pts.
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1998 Frédéric Magnien Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Les Ruchots Reserve Cuvée Unique 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Just a slight it of oxidation has settled in overnight. Notes of sour cherry and spice with a hint of the aforementioned oxidation underneath. The palate remains fresh with flavors of cherry and earth and no oxidation.
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2009 Twomey Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 93 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
(6/3/2017)
From magnum, and just so very clean and pretty. Black cherry, violets, rose petals and cranberry. Medium-bodied with soft tannins and flavors of cherry, rose water and sweet berry fruit. Very pretty. 93-94 pts.
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2009 Twomey Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 93 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Notes of black cherry, cinnamon, nutmeg and florals. Rose water, cherry and spice flavors. Balanced and elegant, with a lengthy finish. Very clean and vibrant. This is a very pretty wine and every bit as good as last night. 93-94 pts.
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2008 Peter Michael Pinot Noir Le Moulin Rouge 90 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
(6/3/2017)
From magnum. Raspberry and cherry with hints of earth/clay underneath. Medium-bodied. Baked cherry, raspberry and nutmeg flavors. Definitely a bigger style, but at least this one tastes like a pinot instead of syrah, which is my biggest problem with most Peter Michael pinots.
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2008 Peter Michael Pinot Noir Le Moulin Rouge 90 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
(6/4/2017)
From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Aromas of cherry, spice, red plum and potpourri. Flavors of baked cherry and spice. I like this slightly more tonight than last night. 90+ pts.
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