Zachys Holiday Auction - Dec 2017
Smith & Wollensky (48th & 3rd Ave)
Tasted Saturday, December 2, 2017 by MC2 Wines with 449 views
Introduction
It is becoming a bit of a tradition to do the Zachys auction each Dec on the first Saturday of the month. This year was a funny one with a nice collection of Rhone in the beginning and some Aus/Spanish towards the end and what I'd call a 500 lot 'barren desert' in terms of our interests. That actually worked quite well so we could do some bidding, enjoy our lunch and company, and then do some more bidding. While there was not much wine being poured that was of interest to us by them, there was thankfully lots of great wines on the table.
Flight 1 - Main event - the auction (19 Notes)
Flight 2 - Bonus bottles (4 Notes)
After the auction we invited folks back to enjoy some more glasses and lounge a bit.
Closing
Unfortunately I didn't make it through everything on the table (a 2009 Pegau never quite made it over). Most were leftovers from the dinner the night before (notes here - https://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=36923&searchId=3C8AD66E%23selected%253DW2499499_1_K9f29ca5f65a6c33b99161c9d39b7e2bc&UISource=list) and at least for the ones I resampled nothing really changed enough to require an update.
I think the 1999 Rayas prob won the day for me (many thanks to M & P for bringing!) although I was also quite taken by the 92/99 Bonneaus (many thanks to Tony for sharing the 92!). And while I was mostly focused on expanding our Rhone and Grange collections, I think perhaps the most interesting wines we ended up with were some of the old Unicos which are a special favorite of ours. Always a fun time. Look forward to the next one.
NV Étienne Calsac Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Les Rocheforts
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Breakfast bubbles! These grower champagnes are really something. Everything about this wine was soft edges although it had lovely toast and brioche notes throughout. Like a soft warm bread from France. Hints of butter. Very tasty. I'll def look for it again.
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2009 Bérêche et Fils Champagne Premier Cru Le Cran Ludes
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Like biting into a tart green apple with a hint of sweetness and a touch of sour and almost this drying quality to it (obviously there aren't really tannins here, but you almost feel like there could be a bit). A hint of the brioche. Very nice champagne. Thanks to Tony for sharing.
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2011 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Roussanne Vieilles Vignes
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Wow was this good. It was just firing on all of the cylinders. Opened and decanted (per some advice) and then drank throughout the day (although it was originally termed breakfast wine and I'm surprised it lasted). Lovely full mouthful with delicate white flowers and honey and a prettiness to it. Long finish. Delicious.
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NV Gosset Champagne Brut Excellence
France, Champagne
I feel for this champagne. Perhaps if we had started here it would have been a bit more compelling, but instead we had some wonderful grower ones and so by the time the table got to tasting this I think everyone was thinking more for mimosas than on its own. Everything was just quite a bit coarser - the bubbles esp - which was offputting. Notes were sharper. Not for me.
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2007 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
The whites were really on today and this one was no different. A great wine. Bright and fresh and vanilla beans and sugar cookie and the kindof wine that just grabs the attention even if you hadn't been specifically paying attention to it with a 'hey, I'm here and I'm good'. Really good.
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1999 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Drank side by side with a '99 Rayas and wow is it funny how the same grape from the same region can be so incredibly different. Upon opening this wine reminded me of a vegetable garden. A bit of earth and stalks and a more savory side to it all. Not in a bad way. With time it opened up more and then it was black fruits and something like a summer storm with the intenseness that wraps you up in it and that almost rain-like smell and taste in the mouth. The wine was heavy and yet not heavy and very well balanced. Much more to it than the Rayas which just kindof melts away. Strong tannins and clearly a long life ahead of it. Will hold on the other bottles for a few more years. Fun to try and definitely enjoyed.
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1999 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Quite possibly my wine of the day. Ignore the CT drinking window of 2013. This was still going strong to quite strong. Typical beautiful Rayas with the bright cherry and the herbal and tea leaves and just this overall prettiness to it. The acidity keeps the wine so very light and dainty and it just kindof melts in the mouth. Very elegant. Many thanks to M & P for sharing. Lovely.
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1992 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Wow is this a baby which is funny to say for a 25 year old wine that I think had been open for a few hours before we tried. It's also got a certain prettiness to it (like the Rayas), but with a bit more power and muscle as well. Lots of violets and a very fragrant floral garden. Spicy red fruits. Super enjoyable. Many thanks to Tony for sharing.
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2006 Clos l'Église (Pomerol)
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Tannins and dirt and dark red fruits nad then some almost soy sauce flavor to it. Finishes with a very strong floral note. It didn't really feel ready yet although perhaps would have been ok with a decant. As it was, felt a bit tight all around.
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2003 Château Cos d'Estournel
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Opened and decanted fairly early and then I tried it prob a few hours later in the day. Very Bordeaux-like. All of the black fruits and leather and pepper and overall a tasty wine. Too young still probably, but with the decant it was fairly open for business. Enjoyable.
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1996 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia
Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Sassicaia
Whenever I drink one of these wines I'm always reminded of our trip before our visit here to the seaside in Bolgerhi where you have a bit of the salt in the air and the rocks on the beach have their own smell and you can just about taste them in the air. That is this wine. Fruit is there, but a touch more faded. Hints of leather. Mostly sea minerals. Very nice. On the back-end so drink up. (the other thing that our friends reminded us of were the VERY small pours when we visited the estate for a paid for tour and tasting - would generally say better off driving around the area, going to a bottle shop and picking up a few bottles than actually doing that tour).
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2010 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Young wine that we probably should have decanted but instead was aired in the bottle. I tried later in the day. More approachable than I would have thought, but still a bit tight. Tannin pretty predominant. On top of that some black fruits and also some earthen floor. Intense wine as Cornas so often is, but also great potential. Enjoyed.
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2009 Foundling Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley
Opened and decanted and poured. This is blueberry pie in a wine. A hint of heat, but that blows off quickly. Then you are left with some baking spice and some almost pie crust and the blue and black fruits. Coats the mouth. Very intense wine and very much hedonistic in nature and just generally quite fun. Could stand in for a port or similar as a late evening sipper.
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1985 Clos Fourtet
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Didn't take super detailed notes on this one. Was enjoying a conversation while it was poured and before I knew it the taste was done and I hadn't thought too much about it. Very bordeaux-like. Leather and touch of red fruit. I enjoyed it.
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2004 Merus Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley
Poured from a magnum. This was sweet plum spice. Another total mouth coater that just feels a bit hedonistic to me. Strong tannins with a long life ahead of it. This is a wine that I think could handle some more age, but was pretty tasty as well when we had it. Very yummy.
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2014 Andremily Syrah No. 3
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
We've been on the list for a few years now and I've wanted to try the wine, but never found a good time. Took others advice and decanted overnight (you might not have known). This wine is tight and rich and intense. For me it's personally much too young and we'll be holding our bottles for 20+ years I think. But lots of dark fruits and floral notes and spiciness and generally a very enjoyable wine.
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NV Bollinger Champagne Special Cuvée Brut
France, Champagne
Not that different from my previous note. This is just normal, standard champagne. Hints of toast. Hints of yeast. Nothing that truly stands out either good or bad. Completely fine, but not a champagne you feel inclined to seek out.
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2012 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon White Pebble
USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
I'm amazed at how many wines Chimney Rock makes that you just don't hear about. This is another of those. Very lovely Napa. Lots of fruit. A fun wine. Touch of alcohol but it blows off. I think a wine that would benefit from some more time, but enjoyable now.
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1995 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The last wine that I drank at the auction proper. It was a lot of barnyard and funk and then fruit pops through. Hints of heat and alcohol, but nothing too intense. Overall very enjoyable.
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