The Return of the Wednesday Wine Lunch
Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)
Tasted Wednesday, June 6, 2018 by rocknroller with 238 views
Introduction
A fun day that finally cooperated to be outside for the afternoon and evening with some excellent wines.
2015 François Chidaine Touraine Grolleau Pinot Noir Rosé
France, Loire Valley, Touraine
Figured I should pop the cork on my last bottle. I don't think time is doing any favors here - which is not to say I think it's done, but I don't think it is as good as in the past. Actually it is fairly consistent, but I do think that the alcohol is bleeding through now as the fruit seems to have lost some of its brightness. Blood orange, florals with some grapefruit zest on both the nose and palate that gives bit of spice and bitterness to the back end. Probably 87 at this point.
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NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé 93 Points
France, Champagne
Light pick color. Drank a glass over 40 minutes. It is always a treat when one of these shows up at a tasting. Today was no different. I found this to be firing on all cylinders, much like a bottle we had last month. This bottle was particularly graceful with a suave sophistication. Well balanced with lacy fruit and a creamy fresh strawberry mousse palate. It has nice length and depth. This evokes a recent bottle of Gaston Chiquet Rose we had the other day - or maybe it should be the other way around - though the Chiquet comes in at a much nicer tariff. At any rate- thoroughly enjoyable and always a classy drink.
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2002 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Rare 95 Points
France, Champagne
Light medium gold color. Drank 1+ glass over 45 minutes. Just another truly memorable bottle of '02 Cuvee Rare. A wildly explosive bead of tiny focused bubbles, powerfully autolytic offering a deliciously toasted nose and palate, golden fruits, golden apple and pear pastries, tart tatin, almond, creamy, lemon curd, brisk and lively with great depth. This goes on and on. One of my personal favorites. Outstanding now, but built to go the distance. 95+pts to 96pts. .
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2016 Château de Pibarnon Bandol Rosé 91 Points
France, Provence, Bandol
Light pink color. Drank a glass over an hour. Excellent, fresh and bright, light with plenty of minerality and Provencal character to go with the precise red fruits. Excellent.
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2014 Gamling & McDuck Cabernet Franc Rosé 88 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
This has an odd color, more cranberry like. Drank a glass next to a '16 Pibarnon. Interestingly, it seems we had a similar experience a year ago, with a '15 G & M and a '16 Peyrassol with almost identical results. As a stand alone, it's fine - not as big and concentrated as you might expect from the color. Still, more fruit and forward by a good margin. Sweetish strawberries, with some cranberry tartness. If I drink it on its own, I can appreciate it more. When I drink it next to the Pibarnon, the differences are striking and really delineates what I prefer in my rose. I prefer to feel the summer breezes of the Mistrals and the lift of seaside minerals as they're blown along the shores of Provence.
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2016 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé 93 Points
France, Provence, Bandol
Light salmon color. Drank a glass over an hour. The gold standard in rose, and the one to which everyone tries to compare themselves. As they say, often imitated, never duplicated - or at the very least rarely duplicated. This always impresses, sometimes more than others - this was one of those bottles that was more. A head turning nose of white peach, wistful berries, rose petals and damp ocean shore mineral. The palate is lifted, bright with the peach and a citrus burst followed by a delicate floral essence. Yet it may be the seashore influences that carry this to another level for me. Provocative and thought provoking, who says rose can't be complex. A great wine - period.
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2011 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
Pale greenish gold color. Drank 1 glass of the '11 Vaudesir and the '11 Le Clos side by side. We'd had both of these wines a couple times on their own, but never as a flight, so this was a highly anticipated comparison. The Vaudesir was more crystalline and mineral driven with great precision, bight citrus fruit, limestone, lemon and seashells. Very classic in expression and absolutely delicious. This continued to improve at least a point in glass. The Le Clos did take things to another level, offering more depth and a core of earthy, dank funky seashore that I consider a Fevre signature. Tons of brine and mineral with more depth and weight this delvers a tour de force showing with even more overall minerality. Lemon, lime, tart apple, lemon oil, plenty of lift and this also has a long driven finish.
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2011 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 95 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
Light greenish gold color. Drank 1 glass of the '11 Vaudesir and the '11 Le Clos side by side. We'd had both of these wines a couple times on their own, but never as a flight, so this was a highly anticipated comparison. The Vaudesir was more crystalline and mineral driven with great precision, bight citrus fruit, limestone, lemon and seashells. Very classic in expression and absolutely delicious. This continued to improve at least a point in glass. The Le Clos did take things to another level, offering more depth and a core of earthy, dank funky seashore that I consider a Fevre signature. Tons of brine and mineral with more depth and weight this delvers a tour de force showing with even more overall minerality. Lemon, lime, tart apple, lemon oil, plenty of lift and this also has a long driven finish. 95-95+pts.
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2010 Ramey Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard 92 Points
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
Light medium gold color. Drank a glass over 40 minutes. Vanilla, creme brulee, very good, full bodied, some earth, still brisk on the palate though, oak spice, lush and ripe. Classic Cali chard, well made, a bigger style, yet still keeps things nicely balanced.
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2013 Ridge Chardonnay Monte Bello 92 Points
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Light gold color. Drank a glass over 45 minutes. This was very nice indeed, minerals, lemon chiffon, tangy, Meyer lemon, peach, round. Yes. 92+pts.
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2010 Chartron et Trébuchet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Embazées 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
Light-medium color. Similar to previous note, lemon, flint, orange hints with spice. Probably didn't get enough attention. 90-91pts.
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1998 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage Blanc Chevalier de Sterimberg 90 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Dark gold color. Golden fruits, baked apple, spice pear cobbler, brown sugar, honeyed, a little flabby at this point, on the downward side, but still provides plenty of aged character.
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1989 Château Cantemerle 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Dark red color. Slow-O for 30 minutes and splash decanted. A lovely older Cantemerle. This has a smoky nose with crushed flowers, and tobacco essence with more subtle dark red fruits. The palate isn't quite to the level of the nose, but still offers a tobacco laden core with dark cherry and currants on top of a some funk on a medium body with pleasant tannins.
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2000 Château Grand-Pontet 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
No notes. A pleasant surprise, this was holding up well. Cassis, blackberry, grainy medium tannins a bit more rustic. 89 to 90pts.
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2010 Château d'Yquem Declassified 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Light yellow color. Drank a small pour over 30 minutes. Honey, lemon oil, pineapple, tart, spice, medium body, orange peel. Good again. 91+pts.
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