DC/Chicago Wine Dinner Extravaganza

Our semi-annual dinners are back on track after a slight year+ pandemic hiatus.

• 2002 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut

  France, Champagne

  In 02/00/98/96 vertical. Disappointing bottle seemed lacking fruit and energy, coming across as much more mature and flat vs other recent/ great bottles.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2000 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  In 02/00/98/96 vertical, this was the surprising start of the flight. Bright yellow and green apple with very good length and finesse. Not a powerhouse, but nicely balanced and persistent.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1998 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  In 02/00/8/96 vertical. Apple and pear throughout, some baked apple on finish. Tasty and dense with slightly more yeasty and toasted baguette than I recall from before, but this is a wine that will be better to consume near-term vs cellar long-term.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1996 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 91 Points

  France, Champagne

  In 02/00/98/96 vertical. Also apple and baked apple with toasted walnuts and earthy notes. Very rich and powerful, but also very mature, which is the direction for many recent bottles (but not all).

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  In 13/11/09/06 vertical. Floral start with lots of apple, still nicely fresh with some faintly mature notes. Powerful on palate with very good depth with simultaneous bright. Perhaps riper than is expected for "classic" Chablis, but the energy and brightness are front-and-center. Great for the vintage.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2009 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  In 13/11/09/06 vertical. My first time trying this vintage, and it was the only disappointment in the vertical. Ripe and fleshy with good richness but just a little flat, with less brightness, energy or minerality than I'd hope for.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  In 13/11/09/06 vertical. Lean style with classic Chablis brightness and minerally textures. Green apple everywhere with even concentration to stand side-by-side with the wine's big structure. OK, on the lean side with some faint bitterness, but that works well here. My favorite of the vertical.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  In 13/11/09/06 vertical. Nothing classic here at all, thi starts out with a sense of sweetness from faint botrytis, which brings about some untraditional baked apple and poached pear character. That richness is well matched by classic mineral textures and very good length. Not the greatest density for Raveneau Grand Cru, but very fun and enjoyable.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  In Aubert 2014 horizontal. New oak still protrudes a bit aromatically, but overall richness is charming. Powerful, fleshy and ripe, but with enough structure and brightness to hold everything together well enough... even if the fat dominates.

  Read 1 Comment / Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Aubert Chardonnay Sugar Shack Flawed

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  In Aubert 2014 horizontal. Fruit seemed tired, this came across as nearly past its peak, letting the warmth dominate. 86 points for me tonight.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Aubert Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  In Aubert 2014 horizontal. Also very rich with impressive concentration, showing plenty of tropical fruit and poached pear. Fresh enough to remain balanced, but not particularly finessed.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Aubert Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  In Aubert 2014 horizontal, this was my clear favorite. Bright apple and lemon with bright textures. Very good length with persistence, this is completely enticing and makes me want to go back for more.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1983 Domaine Jean Gros Richebourg 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru

  Served alongside an Anne Gros 10/09/09/98 vertical. Lots of slowly cooked/ reduced mushroom with so much umami and meatiness with baking spice. Still good density, better length. I'd have liked a little more fruit to complement the tertiary notes here, but there is enough complexity to keep this very intriguing.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1998 Domaine Anne Gros Richebourg 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru

  In 10/09/09/98 vertical with a Jean Gros 83 bonus. Red cherry and berry comes across as both fresh and mature with good brightness and earth working together elegantly. Maturing character is bringing out some sweetness in the middle, but this ends with a wonderful and sneaky long finish.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2008 Domaine Anne Gros Richebourg 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru

  In 10/09/09/98 vertical with a Jean Gros 83 bonus. Decanted an hour in advance because tannins seemed slightly coarse, and the air really seemed to help. Seamless red cherry , nicely spiced with good power. Still firm when poured, this gradually softened, softened, and softened some more. Last sip was the best. Continued patience will be rewarded.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2009 Domaine Anne Gros Richebourg 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru

  In 10/09/09/98 vertical with a Jean Gros 83 bonus. My first time tasting this wine since from barrel at the domaine in 2010. Ultra ripe with so much fruit coming from all directions. Classically Vosne spiced with so much here, all so fresh and vibrant. Frankly my least favorite of the vertical for enjoyment TODAY, but I am excited to know I have 5 bottles in the cellar, and look forward to them in another decade+. This was also decanted an hour+ before serving, and would have benefited from even more air.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Domaine Anne Gros Richebourg 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru

  In 10/09/09/98 vertical with a Jean Gros 83 bonus. My favorite of the flight for potential, and nearly as good as the Jean Gros 1983 for now. Superbly elegant with bright red fruit and Asian five spice. Everything in its place, this kept getting bigger, and bigger and better with more air, all the way staying completely harmonious. Not decanted, but opened an hour+ in advance.

  Read 1 Comment / Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon 87 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  Massive but one dimensional for me. Ripe fruit makes this finish too warm, and as a result this isn't aging gracefully. I liked this years ago when very fresh, not at all tonight. But this isn't the style of Cabernet I prefer.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Kapcsándy Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (Grand Vin) State Lane Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Yountville

  Third time I have tasted this wine, and it is surprisingly getting slightly more complex, so I enjoyed it more tonight than before. Still, not a style of wine that thrills me.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Colgin IX Estate

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Dense black fruit, this powerful and meaty with brooding structure. Still backward, the wine didn't thrill me tonight but I like its possible potential with hints of nuance that (may?) emerge based on layers of flavor coming through already. Patience required.

  Read 1 Comment / Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Sine Qua Non Syrah Dangerous Birds Flawed

  USA, California, Central Coast

  A rare SQN that seems off balance and flat throughout with a warm finish. While I have not had this wine in many years, i think it a flawed bottle, and not a fading wine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2008 Sine Qua Non Grenache The Duel 90 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast

  Dense black fruit still front-and-center, with spice support a little too far in the background. Warm finish detracted from the overall experience. Didn't meet expectations tonight.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2009 Sine Qua Non Syrah This is Not An Exit Eleven Confessions Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  Ultra rich throughout with sweet spice and impressive concentration. Less complex notes coming through than I expected, but overall good balance and depth.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Stockholm Syndrome Eleven Confessions Vineyard 94 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  Easily the star of the flight, this was the only SQN that lived up to expectations tonight. Power from start-to-finish with everything harmonized. Tannins and structure balance out the ripe, rich fruit, all well supported by sweet and savory spice. Powerful, long finish. Great now through 2025, maybe a bit longer.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1987 Avignonesi Vin Santo di Montepulciano 88 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vin Santo di Montepulciano

  Good intensity but on the simple side, relying mostly on sweetness that textural or flavor complexity. Suffered in comparison to Ochio di Pernice.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1989 Avignonesi Vin Santo di Montepulciano Occhio di Pernice 94 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vin Santo di Montepulciano

  Very complex combination of flavors and aromas, showing black cherry, baked dates, baking spice, molasses, gingerbread and so much more into its rich, unfolding finish. Very impressive.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1937 Quinta do Noval Porto Colheita 92 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Marcona almond, figs and savory spice. Has a nice oxidative touch without being close to oxidized. Good weight and persistence.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue