Big Wines

Casa Gill
Tasted Friday, September 15, 2017 by Aravind Asok with 468 views

Introduction

Almost all of the wines were opened about 2 hours prior to service and allowed to slow-ox (no decanting). Some might have benefited from a good decant.

Flight 1 - The opener (5 Notes)

  • 1964 Siglo Rioja Tinto

    Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

    Beautiful nose with cola, olive, musty red fruit. Very dense and deep. Great on the palate with loads of fruit, still visible acidty, some orange notes and soft medicinal herbs on finish.

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

  • 2012 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée

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

    Loads of potential, but way too young. Olive, cola, paste on the nose, plus a little metallic, which evens out to iron. Super chewy on the palate, soft acidity and I get loads of tapenade, and all I can think of is the word ``dark."

    Post a Comment / 5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2014 Weltner Rödelseer Küchenmeister “Hoheleite” Sylvaner Großes Gewächs

    Germany, Franken

    Beautiful nose, with grapefruit and peaches..a hint of sweetness. On the palate, good acidity, but not over the top, loads of lime and melon. Deep, stony slightly sweet finish.

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

  • 2004 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve

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

    When opened, I thought this bottle was slightly off. It improved with time open, but there was a slight brettiness that never blew off; maybe even the slightest hint of cork taint (indicated by a slight dullness on the palate). Of the three Rayas wines we had tonight, this came in third, but was still stunning. That distinctive Rayas nose of raspberry and incense; on the palate, this showed more iron ore maybe and could even flit toward metallic sometimes. Delicate and elegant, but just overshadowed by the '06 and the '01.

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

  • 2006 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve

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

    Just spectacular. Maybe my wine experience of the year so far. I had high expectations for this bottle and it far exceeded them. The nose is enrapturing: a haunting perfume of pure grenache fruit with loads of raspberry and incense, a touch of lavender and provencal herbs in the background. On the palate, delicate but persistent: soft notes of olive, brine, raspberry.

    I kept coming back to this over the course of about 5 hours, and each time it was somehow consistent with and yet utterly different from the previous time. Complex, elegant, transcendent.

    I think the 06 Chateau des Tours Vacqueyras gives a good suggestion of what the nose of this wine is, but on the palate they could not be more different.

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

Flight 2 - First official flight (4 Notes)

Flight 3 - Rhone/Rhone-style flight (4 Notes)

  • 2001 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve

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

    Great start to the second flight. This was qualitatively in a similar league to the '06, but just showed slightly more rusticicity. Much better than the '04.
    As always, a beautiful nose, but on the palate, this showed more garrigue/herbs than the '06, which showed more pure grenache fruit. We're picking nits though; just stunning.

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

  • 2009 Donelan Syrah Obsidian Vineyard

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

    After the Rayas, this just did not show well, so maybe this was just not in the right place... Clear oak influence, a touch creamy; thick and rich, with loads meatiness; and this didn't show any varietal character to me. I came back to this several times, but this was just not in the same league as the other wines in the flight.

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

  • 2003 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Just beautiful, but seemed out of place in this flight. Soaring, evocative nose: this made me think of venison with sour cherries; blood and olive, sweet/sour cherry. On the palate, liqueur like density and texture with umami and salinity. You can see the hot vintage, but it's just really well-managed.

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

  • 2007 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins

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

    A beautiful wine. By comparison to the Rayas, this showed a little murkier/dirtier fruit, but just stunning nose with very ripe grenache fruit. The acidity on the palate was a bit lacking, so it leaned ever-so-slightly flabby, but very delicate and beautiful finish.

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

Flight 4 - Bordeaux-styled flight (4 Notes)

  • 2009 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

    Not really in the same league as the other wines in this flight, but I have a place in my heart for these wines. Loads of sweet tobacco on the nose and waves of ripe black and blue fruit. Thick and unctuous on the palate, but the oak seems well-integrated and supports the fruit. Sweet cola and a touch of tar on the palate and dense tannic finish. Still very youthful, and I'm always amazed at how these wines don't show alcoholic heat even at 15.2% abv...

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

  • 2005 Château Haut-Brion

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Unremarkable given the pedigree, but a very nice wine. Maybe the bottle was damaged in some way? Maybe the issue is that one needs to wait another 20 years or so for this? Soft, pure cab sauv fruit on the nose; a beautiful mixture of dense fruit and herbs. On the palate, beautiful texture, and a soft finish by comparison to the new world wines in the flight.

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

  • 2001 Dominus Estate

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Probably didn't get enough air, but after the Haut Brion, this was interesting. Loads of dark red fruit and a hint of green on the nose; liqueur-like on the palate; reminded me more of amarone though.

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

  • 1985 Château Cheval Blanc

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Easily the wine of the flight. Just stunning nose with a hint of smoke and ash, sweet tobacco; a touch of black raspberry, but loads of secondary. On the palate, pure clean black fruit and wonderful texture. Wow.

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

Flight 5 - A little something sweet (1 Note)

×
×