3rd Annual PNV Kick Lunch this year with Jamie/Juan/Patrice/Zander/Tom/Steve/Jay...another epic event

This is our (my) third annual kickoff lunch for the PNV week in Napa. A generous group of wine friends and vintners use this as an excuse to open some great old, rare and unique wines.

This year we had an opportunity to meet Patrice Breton from Vice Versa, also joined by Zander Deetz from Amici

• 2002 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas François

  France, Champagne

  Opened with some bubbles, a generous contribution from Jay.
  
  Yellow straw color, frothy bubbles. Classic brioiche and yeast nose. Great fruit, pears and orchard fruit.Crisp and clean. Still drinking young. Great stuff

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• 2007 Didier Dagueneau Pur Sang 94 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé

  A great excuse to open one of these. Almost through a batch I bought in 2010. Slightly chilled, drank off/on for up to 2 hours
  
  Nose of orchard fruits, ocean/salinity, mineral/stone. Some of our group picked up "summer asphalt" - which surprisingly was not a bad thing... Complex palate as I remember from last tasting, showing citrus, green apple, quince,key lime and dried flowers. Crisp and creamy on the finish. Great secondary flavors throughout.
  
  This bottle like others shows better with a chill. As it warmed it lost a bit of its texture, we chilled it back up and it was back in business. All in a great wine, still has years left in it if wanting to cellar. Last year before Didier D passed away, a sentimental favorite.

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• 2011 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Meursault Les Narvaux

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  A generous contribution from Jay. My first experience with this PYCM...
  
  Pale gold color. Elegant nose showing pear, spice, wet stone. Palate of citrus and creamy lemon, smoke, white flowers. Great texture and creamy through the mid palate...absolutely gorgeous wine on this particular day.
  
  Classic white burgundy, drinking well. Should have a fairly broad window - nicely settled in now but no signs of decline. My favorite white of the event. Really delicious...

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• 1985 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  This was a contribution from my cellar, this crew worthy of opening this bottle. Wait staff did a nice job w opening, cork came out clean, strained into a decanter, mild sediment.
  
  Like prior bottles, this came together in about 20-30 minutes. Faded garnet color. From prior notes: "Nose of dark fruits, cigar, cedar, mint. Elegant, delicate palate of dusted blackberry, roasted meats, savory, Bordeaux like. Medium texture, nice fruit through the mid palate."
  
  Clearly past its prime but still interesting and fun to drink a classic 33 yr old Napa Cab. Still has great fruit and interesting secondary flavors. Well stored bottles should last a bit longer based on this experience. During a visit to Phelps later in the trip we had a chance to taste some additional library wines - staff indicated the 85 has held up well across the board

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• 2001 Château Pavie

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Great contribution from Tom - Pavie never disappoints. We decanted this one for about 30 minutes before drinking, drank over a couple hours.
  
  Consistent with prior tastings: "Rich garnet/purple core, some lightening at the edges.Nose of blackberry, cedar, lead/graphite. Palate of dark fruits, blueberry, plum, cocoa. Picked up tobacco on the back palate. Long and nuanced finish, excellent smooth texture."
  
  The last bottle I opened had about 4 hours prior to drinking. This continued to evolve over the time we drank it - the decant/air is a factor. Mature, showing good fruit and nuance through the mid palate. An amazing wine as expected - great now and will still be great in 15+ years...

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• 1985 Château Cos d'Estournel

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  A generous contribution from Jay. Cos one of my favorites, reliable, ages beautifully. My first time with this vintage.
  
  Color was a faded purple/garnet, bricking at the edge. Nose of dusted dark berries, minerals and floral notes.. Elegant, mature palate showing black cherry, cassis, mineral, cigar, forest floor and violet. Smooth texture, medium bodied and long (for this age) finish.
  
  Really gorgeous, still an expressive wine even at this age. A classic old school Bdx, at a perfect spot right now. My WOT(Lunch)

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• 1996 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia

  Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Sassicaia

  Contributed by Steve K, opened later in the event. Drank over 90 minutes.
  
  Reticent nose, some red fruits. Rounded in flavor, some cherry, cinnamon and vanilla. Overall not much through the finish
  
  I am a big fan of Sassicaia and I recall 96 was a good year across Italy. This guy never really opened or showed much - not flawed just closed and kind of flat...

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• 2015 Realm Cellars Moonracer

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District

  Juan brought this one, really fun to drink this so early in its evolution. Drinking a young wine among all this older bottles was agood change up and kept the palates fresh...!
  
  Deep purple color. Wine shows rich blue fruits, graphite and spice on the nose. Polished, rich palate of blackcurrants, cherry, cedar, earth/gravel. Silky texture throughout, rich through the back palate. Long and layered finish.
  
  Drinking really well for such a young wine, tannins there but not too grippy. will be interesting to see how this develops, should continue to evolve and drink well for another 15+ years...outstanding

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