4th Saturday Group: Uptown Brown Bag

• NV Ruinart Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  A nonblind starter courtesy of our hosts to kick off the first in-person gathering of the tasting group since February. Consistently an excellent Champagne. Lot LALH8. Light color with notes of apple and citrus with a subtle almond note in the background. Toasted biscuit, mineral and apple flavors. Medium bead.

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• 2015 Ramey Chardonnay Rochioli Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Double blind. Pale yellow color. Lemon, stone, mineral and apple aromas with a cottony note in the background. Lovely fruit on the palate, apple and citrus. Incredibly bright acidity as well, which had me absolutely convinced that this was French. I guessed 2015 Corton Charlemagne and never would have imagined this was California, let alone a Ramey.

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• 2016 J. Rochioli Chardonnay Russian River Valley 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Double blind. Pale color. Opens with a dominant cotton note along with apple/orchard fruit. Quince and lemon qualities, with apple and spice on the finish. Develops a sweet white peach flavor. Easy to pick out as chardonnay, but the origin was not so obvious.

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• 2014 Peter Michael Chardonnay Ma Belle-Fille 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Double blind. Light color. Opens with a flinty note, followed by apple and lemon notes. Citrus, apple and mineral on the palate. Medium-bodied, with bright acidity. Guessed young Meursault Genevrieres.

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• 2003 Sloan 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  Blind. Fairly dark color. Tobacco, plum, tea and dark fruit aromas. Has just a touch of bouillon on the palate at first, giving way to plum, dark fruit and cedar. Develops perfumed floral notes as it sits. 93+ pts. Guessed '09/'10 Napa cab.
  
  I did not identify this as our bottle. This had been double decanted off its sediment 2 hours before the flight was poured.

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• 1996 A. Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon Terrace Select 94 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  Double blind. Aromas of iron, black fruit, asphalt and embers. Smells like Pessac to me. Medium-bodied with soft tannins. Loads of perfectly ripe dark fruit on the palate complemented by spice and earth qualities. This may smell like Graves but it tastes like California. Guessed CA cabernet. 94-95 pts.
  
  Drinking beautifully right now and my overall WOTN. MikeM's bottle, the cork was pulled during the flight of warm ups so this had only been opened some 30 minutes or so before the flight was poured.

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• 2000 Dominus Estate 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Vanilla and buttery tones, with clay and plummy fruit as well. Medium-bodied with integrated tannin. Flavors of plum, prune and just a hint of bouillon too.
  
  Another of MikeM's bottles opened during warm ups, some thirty minutes before the flight.

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• 2004 Sloan 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  Blind. Aromas of plum, black fruit and violets. Pretty. Medium-bodied with some tannin to shed. Abundant black fruit on the palate. Very well-balanced. Long finish. Guessed Napa cabernet.
  
  This had been double decanted off its sediment about two hours before the flight was poured.

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• 2015 Realm Cellars The Bard 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Dark opaque color. Quite grapey and primary, shows lots of grapey sweetness as well as blue fruit and spice. Full-bodied. Sweet tannins support an abundance of black fruit, finishing with good length.

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• 2008 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Dark color; opaque. Aromas of vanilla and sweet grapey fruit along with something weedy/vegetal. Better on the palate. Full-bodied with medium+ tannins and flavors of sweet black and blue fruit. Medium+ finish, showing a good bit of oak spice. Guessed Napa cab, should have known Caymus SS based n that sweet grapey fruit profile.

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• 2017 Bevan Cellars Ontogeny 80 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Inky black color. Black fruit underneath a sour grapefruity citrus aroma that never blows off. Sour and acidic on the palate too, though there is some black fruit underneath. Coming back before the unveiling, it's still rather acidic and sour though there is just a bit more fruit poking through.

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• 2006 Anakota Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Double blind. Inky opaque color. Opens with a resiny note, along with currant and black fruit. Well-balanced. Abundant black fruit on the palate balanced by spice and earth tones. Finishes with nice length. Tannins are firm but very fine. Easy to pick out as a Napa cab. My favorite of this flight. 92-93 pts.

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• 2006 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Dark inky color. Aromas of black fruit, cedar and brown sugar. Balanced; nice fruit on the palate. Medium tannins. Finishes with good length. Nice, if a bit young- yet another Napa cab sauv.

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• 2008 Merryvale Profile 85 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Dark and inky opaque color. Ripe nose- lots of ripe dark fruit and brown sugar, and perhaps also just a touch of VA here as well. Somewhat similar to wine H with a bit of a sour quality on the palate, though not nearly to the extent of H. Black fruit flavors abound- cassis and currant. Medium(-) finish.

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With delivery pizza & cheesecake

• 2007 Lewis Cellars Syrah

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  From magnum, courtesy of our hosts. Dark color with notes of white pepper and candied red fruit. Tends towards dark fruit on the palate, along with pepper and roasted game flavors. Very tasty.

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• 2004 Neal Family Vineyards Petite Syrah Fifteen-Forty 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  In a very good place at the moment. Aromas of dark fruit, spice and leather. Black fruit and chocolate tones along with hints of white pepper on the palate. Soft tannins. 92-93 pts.

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• 1996 Ravenswood Zinfandel Cooke 88 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley

  Quickly and carefully double decanted off its sediment and served double blind to the group with the pizza. Faded crimson red color. Dusty earth and red berry notes and flavors. Very soft and pleasant, with a bit of spice and noticeable but not distracting acidity. Guesses tended towards Italian varieties with a bit of age. Very nice.

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• 2009 Château Rieussec

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Light color with loads of stone fruit and marmalade. As is Rieussec's style, this was very bright and lifted with a nice beam of acidity cutting the perceived sweetness. Picks up a pleasant coconut quality in the finish. Excellent, as always.

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