4th Saturday Brown Bagger

The theme for the April tasting was "upscale" wines.

The two bubblies were nonblind.

• 2008 Thienot Champagne Brut Millésimé 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  Lemon, apple and chalk notes. Green apple, stone and mineral on the palate. With air this shows more richness, becoming slightly biscuity/toasty. Very nice. 90-91 pts.

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• 2015 Les Vins de Vienne Viognier 90 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes

  Double blind. Floral and peach notes. Rich texture, with peach and mineral flavors. Guessed French viognier.

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• 2016 Benanti Etna Bianco 86 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC

  Double blind. Sulfur and mineral notes adding a flinty element on the palate. Fairly high acidity, and rather lean on fruit. Guessed Sancerre.

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• 2015 Haber Family Vineyards Chardonnay 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Double blind. Nice toasty oak overtones with apple underneath. Fig and apple on the palate, with nicely integrated oak and spice elements. Guessed Napa chard.

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• 2013 Peter Michael Pinot Noir Clos du Ciel 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Double blind. Deep ruby garnet color. Aromas of cinnamon, cola, cherries and baking spices. Nice depth to the fruit. Medium- to full-bodied, with spices, cherry and currants. Guessed Sonoma Coast pinot. 92-93 pts.

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• 2014 Soliste Cellars Pinot Noir L'Ermite Rouge 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Double blind. Cherry, raspberry and red plum with spice overtones. Red fruit and spice on the palate; higher acidity, just a touch out of sorts. Guessed Sonoma Coast pinot.

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• 1996 Château Angélus 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Double blind. A touch of bricking suggests an older wine. Lovely bouquet of tobacco, red currant, plum, iron and spice cake. Red fruit forms the attack, but this trails off across the midpalate and finish. Thin.

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• 2003 Château Sociando-Mallet 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  Double blind. Notes of dark fruit and graphite, with undelying plum, spice and cigar box notes. The palate mirrors the bouquet. Really nice fruit; good length on the finish. Medium tannins. Guessed Bordeaux.

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• 2008 Château Duhart-Milon 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Blind. Aromas of coffee grounds, plum, dark fruit and tobacco. The palate has a chocolate/coffee thing going on, along with more dark fruit and wood spice. Medium-bodied. Turns a corner and seems to lose a bit in the finish.
  
  Decanted about 90 minutes and then rebottled, winding up in the first flight another 90 minutes later.

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• 2008 Château Montrose 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Blind. Opens with a vegetal tone followed by an unmistakable note of Super Bubble bubble gum. These notes fade, allowing red fruit and earth notes to come forward. Full-bodied, with flavors of red fruit, spice and earth. Young, and needs time. I was fairly certain this was our Montrose.
  
  Decanted for two hours and rebottled for travel, poured in the second flight nearly four hours after the cork was pulled. I retasted this with dinner and it had improved a bit, pushing 90 pts for me at that point. On the fence as to whether or not we will add this to the cellar.

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• 2002 Abreu Rothwell Hyde 87 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

  Double blind. Hot. Dark fruit, spice and blue fruit qualities, but shows a lot of alcoholic heat in the bouquet and on the palate. There's nice underlying fruit and structure though. No guess.

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• 2010 Rocca Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Grigsby Vineyard 84 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Yountville

  Double blind. Another that shows a good amount of heat. Dark fruit, prune and chocolate notes. Ripe and pruney. Guessed cab sauv.

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• 2013 Quilt Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 84 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Brown sugar, black fruit and bouillon aromas. Sour black fruit and licorice on the palate. Improves slightly as it sits in the glass. Dark fruit and blue fruit elements. Guessed cab sauv.

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• 2005 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Heritage Release Howell Mountain 88 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Double blind. Coffee and black currant, cassis and chocolate aromas. Full-bodied. Cassis, currant and plum flavors with a good bit of oak spice as well. A little on the ripe side, also a bit rustic. Guessed cab sauv.

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• 2007 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla El Nido Flawed

  Spain, Murcia, Jumilla

  Double blind. Corked.

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• 2016 Lewis Cellars Petite Sirah Calistoga - Napa Valley 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Deep opaque color. Aromas of dark fruit, chocolate, cassis and florals. Firm and full-bodied, with flavors of cassis, brown sugar and blue fruit. There's an elegance to this wine that is incredibly appealing. 93+ pts. Guessed cab sauv.

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• 2016 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 93 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Blind. Notes of red fruit, licorice and plum. Dark fruit on the palate. Medium/firm tannins. Plum, florals and spice notes. Well-balanced, with a long finish. Excellent. Guessed cab sauv blend.
  
  This had been decanted for about two & a half hours before being rebottled. This found its way into the third flight, about five and a half hours after the cork was first pulled.

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• 2012 Arche Veritas Cabernet Sauvignon Insidious 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Notes of chocolate, dark plummy fruit, cassis and blackberry. Firm, fine-grained tannin backing flavors of cassis and black fruit. Finishes with good length and remains balanced across the palate. Guess cab sauv.

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• 2001 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 6 Beckstoffer 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  Double blind. Really nice fruit- mostly dark- with cassis and black currant, though there are red elements as well. Has a subtle herbal undertone. Dark fruit on the palate with a long finish. Very nice.

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Nonblind, with what I will call a beef stew, and L's terrific chocolate raspberry tart.

I also retasted the Soliste, Duhart and Montrose with dinner, and all three had improved a bit with the additional time breathing in bottle.

• 2010 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Nonblind. Cassis and black fruit on the nose and palate. Full-bodied with medium/firm tannins and abundant dark fruit. Subtle oak spice on the palate. Very nice.

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• 2014 Arche Veritas Syrah Las Madres Vineyard 86 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Dark color. Mixed red and blue fruit notes with plenty of underlying spice. On the palate though, this is rather thin and short.

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• 2011 Y Rousseau Tannat Alder Springs Vineyard 88 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County

  Nonblind, from magnum. Peppery black fruit aromas lead to a palate that shows black fruit and licorice. Firm tannins have a fine, sweet edge.

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• 2001 Alois Kracher Welschriesling TBA #8 Zwischen den Seen 95 Points

  Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee

  Nonblind, courtesy of R&D with dessert. Apricot and marmalade, along with papaya and pineapple syrup qualities. Rich and unctuous, with honeyed stone fruit flavors and a hint of caramel. Excellent.

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Thank you, T&L, for a fun tasting.