Barbecue with friends and a humble winemaker

I was invited to this annual get together to "Clear out" a friend's cellar. What a way to do so!!

Had this along with two other bottles that don't even deserve mention, particularly due to the fact that one woman liked them better than the Salon. Some just can't handle complexity.

• 1988 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 95 Points

  France, Champagne

  I've had this about 6 times in the last month or so, and it never gets old. Gorgeous aromatics of baked yellow apples, grilled brioche and biscuits, with the slightest toasted almond, sherry-like thing going on, particularly towards the end of the bottle. The acidity is still bracing with fresh green apple, yeast, chalk, with a beautiful mouthfeel. The mousse is light and delicate. Still one of the best Champagnes, if not THE best, I've ever had. And still youthful. Will coninue to consume over the next few years and follow its evolution. 95+

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• 2005 WesMar Chardonnay Russian River Valley 85 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Brought by Mr. and Mrs. Selyem. Nice light golden colour. Fresh pear and toast on the nose. Nicely balanced acidity on the finish with a nice amount of oak.

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• 2000 Morey-Blanc Corton-Charlemagne Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

  Some thought this was more oxidized than I did, but it didn't give 100% of what it once did.

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• 2000 Louis Jadot Chassagne-Montrachet 79 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet

  Not quite as oxidized as the '00 Morey-Blanc Corton, but starting to show its age. Slight toasted nuts on the nose give away its age, as well as the medium golden colour. Baked apple pie aromas join the nuttiness. The palate is medium-rich with very soft, almost non-existent acidity. Creamed asian pears, hints of spice. Interesting wine, not necessarily pleasing though.

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• 2003 Winzergenossenschaft Thüngersheim Gewürztraminer Spätlese 88 Points

  Germany, Franken

  Nice little treat brought by a friend. Deeply golden in colour. Richly extracted nose of fresh lychee fruit, honeysuckle, apricot. The palate is equally as rich with a creme brulee and fresh cream texture. Well balanced with acidity and just a hint of residual sugar.

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• 1993 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Echezeaux 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru

  The most youthful of the DRC's tonight. Still holds a beautiful deep cherry colour with no signs of age yet. Aromatics are ripe and heady with cherry, raspberry liqueur, hints of warm spices, very primary really. Same with the palate. Nice richness with bright red berry fruit, dusty tannins, but not overwhelming. Finally a slight hint of damp earth on the finish, but again very primary. This is a young bottle that needs time to develop complexity.

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• 1994 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux 80 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

  Had the '94 GE about a year ago and remembering: this is DRC?? Same with this bottling, but I guess you would get these results in a poor vintage. Overall, unexciting. Not too much going on. The nose is somewhat pleasant with some warm spices and underripe raspberries with some earthy qualities. The palate is uneventful and somewhat thin. Oh well, there were more DRC's after this one that were much more impressive.

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• 1993 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Tâche Grand Cru

  This one is also very youthful. Gripping tannins are the most noticeable about this wine compared to the rest. Great fruit extraction, a bit more noticeable oak and spice. Again not too much as far as complexity quite yet, but I'm sure it will take this on with time. Look forward to trying again though. The power behind this is exciting, particularly considering it's a 14 year old pinot noir.

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• 1988 Domaine Leroy Richebourg 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru

  This might come off the wrong way, but I wasn't as impressed as I thought I'd be. It's a damn good bottle, in fact great is a better term, but I think I expected perfect. The others felt the same way. The nose is very aggressive with a sesame oil thing going on. Fruit components were of dried fig, almonds, orange peel, with some white pepper. Definitely a different nose than the DRC's tried tonight. The palate is darker, denser, and again aggressive with dried red fruits, cranberry and dusty tannins. Someone had a '96 Clos de la Roche a week before and got all giddy when he saw this one. I think that got all of our hopes up that this would be even better. It was close, but there were better Burgs in this flight tonight.

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• 1982 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée-Conti Grand Cru

  This is getting better and better, bottle after bottle. The nose that I have been looking for. Damp earth, freshly cut truffles, cinnamon, clove, coriander all explode from the glass. Hints of freshly steeped tea, raw tobacco, and sour cherries. I don't even care what it tastes like at this point. My olfactory senses are going crazy. Finally on the palate is a light and delicate wine with fresh acidity. Some of the tea characteristic comes back on the palate with some of the warm spices as well. The finish lasts forever, allowing me to savor every last sip. This is a great bottle.

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• 1996 Hospices de Beaune Clos de la Roche Cuvée Georges Kritter Méo-Camuzet Butte Creek Selection 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

  Supposedly bottle variation for this limited bottling. Great aromatics of extraction and density with toated almonds, cherry compote, sesame oil, and toasty oak. Palate also shows a density with ripe fruits, nice acidity, and balanced tannins. Still somewhat youthful, but definitley enjoyable now.

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• 1978 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant 100 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru

  I've been waiting all my life for a bottle that just leaves you, and the rest of the table, speechless. It took me over half an hour to catch my breath and realize what I was experiencing. The balance, the delicacy/elegance, and all around beauty of this wine is surreal. Colour of a light brick with brown highlights. The aromatics are intense with cola, ginger and clove, cinnamon, white truffle oil, dirt, and a slight smoky characteristic. Again going back to the '82 Romanee Conti, I don't really even care what it tastes like at this point, not with aromatics like this has. Eventually I give in and taste. Everything is in harmony. The acidity, tannins, secondary characteristics, and what's left of the fruit. Absolutely stunning.

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• 1978 Château Margaux 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Amazing how such an old wine can still have such power. Smokey, pencil lead, black currant nose with a nice amount of toast and oak. Some gamey characteristics too with a hint of tar. Black inky palate that richly coats my mouth with tannins, extracted black fruits, currants, cedar, smoke. This has quite some time left as the tannins are intense and somewhat unbalanced. Fresh acidity allows for a nice, long finish.

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• 1982 Château Lafite Rothschild 98 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Second best wine of the evening. Shows a little funkier nose than the '78 Margaux, with black truffle, cedar, and smokey tobacco. The palate shows tannins, but not as clumsy and better balanced than the Margaux. Creamy palate of cassis, tar, dried sage and thyme. All around a great bottle, which was highly expected. Would love to follow this one through the rest of its life!!

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• 1981 Château Haut-Brion 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  This was a very nice wine, but was lost with the '78 Margaux and the '82 Lafite. The intensity on this one was a little more subtle and delicate. Floral aromatics with a pencil lead, dust, toasted herbs, and sour cherries. The palate showed a little more intensity than anticpated. Soft, dusty tannins, sweet spices, vanilla, and toast. This one doesn't have too much life left in her, but it was a great experience tasting, particularly compared to other wines within the same caliber, just better vintages!

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• 1984 Inglenook Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reunion Reserve Cask 79 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Arrrgh. I wanted this one to show so much better than it did. The colour is still deep in colour without showing any age. The aromatics are nicely dense, concentrated black currant, smoke, dried fig, and plainly intense. Builds you up for a very disappointing palate. Thin and insipid. That's it. Nothing whatsoever happening. What an upset.
  UPDATE: After reading RP's review about 13 years ago, I shouldn't have been so anxious to try this thing. It was interesting to try this, but after the review, I'm not surprised by the showing. Oh well :(

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• 1986 Hanzell Cabernet Sauvignon 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley

  Much better (after trying the '84 Inglenook Reunion, I was a little depressed and needed a pick-me-up!) The colour on this compared to the nose and palate is interesting. It shows age with a light brick colour fading into a burnt orange. The nose is intensely packed with orange peel, tar, tobacco, and cedar with a little dried red currant. The palate is nicely balanced and smokey. After a while in the glass the palate starts to show its age, but never really loses its intensity. This is a wonderful introduction for me to this property, too bad it no longer exists.

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• 1982 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Cuvée 80 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  I believe this is what turns into their "Special selection" a few years down the road. Interesting wine, but far from delicious. Aromatics and colour are very nice and show complexity, but the palate is thin and uneventful with some still existing tannins that are awkward and unbalanced. It was fun to try an older Caymus though.

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• 1977 Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 97 Points

  USA, California

  Holy complex!!! This is what great Cali cabs should be able to offer in 30 years. Not even going to try to describe this experience. Blew the '86 Hanzell out of the water and even held its own with the '78 Margaux, '81 Haut-Brion. The level of complexity, yet the balance and even fruit components are absolutely decadent. Just thinking of the history behind these types of wines, I am not worthy of consuming these. I wish I owned some though!!

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• 1997 Ridge Monte Bello 92 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  This was a ringer, after trying old Burgs, Bordeaux, and older vintage Cali wines. The richness and structure on this is huge. Big, black, inky fruits with tar, smoke, and loads of new toasty oak. It's already 10 years old, but acts like a little baby with teeth gripping tannins and bold black fruits. The balance is phenomenal, and drinks wonderfully right now, particularly with a fat, rich steak or braised beef, but will benefit from cellaring for many years to come.

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• 1976 Freemark Abbey Johannisberg Riesling Edelwein 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  This is a nice little treat to start the end of a perfect tasting. Deep caramel in colour, almost brown really. The botrytis leaps from the glass with richness and intensity. Still lively after 30 years in a half bottle. Amazing. Rich caramel, toffee, toasted nuts, beeswax, and dried mango, apricot, and raisins. Absolutely amazing. The closest thing to an older German TBA. The acidity is still so fresh and in balance with the rich sweetness and mouthcoating viscocity.

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• 1991 Williams Selyem Muscat Canelli Late Harvest Leno Martinelli Vineyard 80 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Almost brought a tear to Mrs. Selyem's eyes when she saw this. Tasted for more sentimental reasons than for the wine itself. A little past prime, although the colour didn't show. The aromatics were of burnt rubber, plastic, dairy. No muscat qualities for the most part. The sweetness and acidity were still there but with the fruit missing. I'm sure it was a phenomenal bottle in the day, but it sure was interesting to taste 15 years later.

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• 1991 Arrowood Riesling Select Late Harvest Oak Meadow Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Still has time in the bottle. Fresh acidity in balance with fruit and sugar. Nice caramel notes with some butterscotch, dried fruits, golden raisin qualities. Nice dessert wine.

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• 1984 Kenwood Johannisberg Riesling Late Harvest Sonoma County 95 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Whoa. This is right up there with the '76 Freemark Abbey. Not quite as concentrated and honeyed, but close. Nice caramel notes with some toffee, smoke, coffee qualities and vanilla. Creme brulee. It's amazing how these wineries made wine back then, probably never figuring these would last 20, 30 years or more. And here I am, drinking wine that's older than me. How proud these producers must be to put out a product like this, and how honored I am to be able to consume them. Wow.

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• 1970 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage 92 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Still youthful. Beautiful ruby colour with the smallest amount of a caramel highlight. The nose is full blasted, in your face with intensity. At first it was alcohol, but blows off eventually. Still fairly primary with fruits, dried cherry, figs, prunes, hints of bitter chocolate covered nuts. Same with the palate. Fairly primary, fruit driven, simple, but pleasant, and needs time. Decanted for quite a while too. This goes to show that great port needs patience. I just hope this wine doesn't outlast the guy whose cellar this came from!!! A great way to end the best tasting I ever have, and possibly ever will attend.

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Absolutely stunning. No words can really describe tonight's wine extravaganza. Let's just say I'm glad I took a cab!!