An Ambitious Birthday Celebration Effort

A few of us gathered to squeeze in a winemaker friend's birthday amidst the usual harvest chaos, and some unusually volatile weather for our region. The beautiful, variable clouds and lengthy lightening show helped distract from a few underperforming bottles, and no one regretted anything about the evening in the end.

• 1993 Etienne Sauzet Montrachet

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

  Despite the fairly solid cork which came out intact, the wine was disappointingly advanced. While it offered both acid and sugar, there was precious little fruit, just a caramelized flavor profile. More interesting than delicious.

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• 2017 Bruno Desaunay-Bissey Echezeaux Vieilles Vignes 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

  My first encounter with the producer. Fairly compact, and restrained, with red berry notes and spice dominating. No textural elements to speak of, nor any signs of terroir. Rather, the wine came off as more polished than I would like, given the site. Nonetheless a tasty and correct wine for sure.

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• 2000 Château Rayas Côtes du Rhône Château de Fonsalette Cuvée Syrah 90 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône

  Not a pristine bottle, unfortunately, as there was a lot of Brett & VA distracting from the gentle raspberry and pepper notes. Even when the barnyard blew off, there was a bitter aftertaste I could not get past. Clocked in at a 14.3% alcohol level.

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• 2005 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  It had been four years since my last bottle of this, and I feel like some of the wine's intensity and complexity have diminished in that time. A very solid cork, no real seepage. Ripe (16.5%!) and lush, with RS balancing out the heat. Loads of fig, truffle, blood and iron, just more straightforward than I recall from before.

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• 1970 Château Beauregard

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Little if any life left, no surprise I suppose. They was a touch of caramelized fruit, and one colleague detected mild TCA, too (I could not pick that up).

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• 1970 Château Haut-Bailly 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  As with a prior bottle from the same lot, this continues to amaze. The wine is still showing secondary characteristics, and all Graves signature notes are on display: sweet, gentle cherry notes interplay with some tobacco, ash and appropriate acidity.

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Better to swing and miss than to stay planted on the bench, and we had some rewarding juice despite the failures.