Jim's Retirement Party
Libertyville, IL
Tasted Saturday, June 11, 2022 by Burgundy Al with 247 views
Introduction
Notes written the next day from memory. There were at least another ten wines I didn't quite recall well enough!
Libertyville, IL
Tasted Saturday, June 11, 2022 by Burgundy Al with 247 views
Notes written the next day from memory. There were at least another ten wines I didn't quite recall well enough!
NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 166eme 92 Points
France, Champagne
Magnum. Very good richness and textures with lots of orchard fruit start-to-finish. I haven’t had this wine in two years, and tonight’s magnum might be the best of this edition I have ever had.
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1980 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon
France, Champagne
Magnum. Sadly completely past its peak.
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1985 Bollinger Champagne R.D. Extra Brut 89 Points
France, Champagne
Small glass from Jero. A bit earthy and bready with very good weight and length. The yeasty Bollinger style really comes though in spades here, which doesn't always thrill me.
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2002 Hospices de Beaune Corton-Charlemagne Cuvée François de Salins Maison Louis Jadot 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Small glass from magnum. Certainly ripe and rich, but very nicely balanced, with plenty of Grand Cru density. Jadot elevage for "Alliance Bourguignonne de Silicon Valley."
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2012 Domaine de Montille Corton-Charlemagne 89 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Small glass from magnum. Rich and rich with lots of fruit, but lacking the brightness from when I tasted this wine several times in 2019. Best to enjoy sooner rather than later.
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2004 Ramey Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard 90 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Small glass from magnum. Surprisingly vibrant still with plenty of fruit and enough energy. Very good weight. But finishes slightly warm.
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2000 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
From magnum. Wonderful combination of fresh and mature orchard fruit with spice and earth notes. Tasted twice, this was earthier when popped-and-poured, bigger and more fun 45 minutes later.
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2009 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Small glass, Seems ripe, warm and a bit grassier than I'd consider ideal. OK overall.
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1995 Château Mouton Rothschild 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Small glass. Lots of big black fruit with both sweet and savory spice, supported with big, meaty notes. Very intriguing combination of both ripe and tart notes that I particularly enjoyed. Thanks for sharing, Winefool!
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2000 Château Lynch-Bages
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Small glass, brief note. Lots here, but more potential for the future vs pleasure for now. I continue to like where it is heading, better 2025-2050.
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2000 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Small glass from magnum. Like the Lynch Bages, this simply needs more time, although the plump black fruit and sweet spice are providing slightly more pleasure today. However, the firm tannins are still assertive. Patience will be rewarded.
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1994 Château Haut-Brion 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Small glass. Still reasonably fresh, but with just enough fruit that barely gets past the more prominent structure. Others liked this more than I did, but were mostly saying this was good for the vintage, vs good overall or good at its market price.
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1982 Château Gruaud Larose 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
From magnum, this was a beautiful bottle of this inconsistent wine. Lots of bold black fruit with faint earth and underbrush, combining in a very layered and complex way. Not as great as the best bottles I've tasted of this 1982, but better than many others, including the 750 ml bottle tasted next.
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1982 Château Gruaud Larose Flawed
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Tasted just after a very good magnum, this 750 ml bottle was dirty and barnyardy. Some thought it corked, but this was open too long without actual cork taint emerging for it to be corked.
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1982 Château Magdelaine 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Small glass from magnum. Ripe black fruits with sweet spice and a overall richness that is easy to enjoy. Probably better a few years back, but this has the stuffing to hold well for the near future.
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1983 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon Flawed
USA, California, Napa Valley
Well past its peak, nowhere near the quality level of a bottle tasted two years ago.
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1999 Joseph Phelps Insignia 87 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Ripe and getting tired, this seemed long in the tooth, showing warmth on its finish.
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1985 Opus One 89 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Small glass from 3L. Much nicer than I expected, but so wannabe Bordeaux that can't quite deliver.
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1957 Domaine Château De La Tour Clos Vougeot 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Small glass. Easily enough mature red and black fruit alongside the expected acidity and structure. Good+ length and weight, while still well balanced. I fortunately got an early pour shortly after this was opened. Other similarly experienced Burgundy enthusiasts also enjoyed this wine's charms. 90-91 points for today's pleasure, but that understates the "birth year" enjoyment for the host.
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1982 Maison Leroy Beaune 1er Cru Cent-Vignes 86 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
Small glass. Interested old Burg aromas with as much earth and lingering fruit with savory spice. Less interesting flavors seem more flat and tired. Other seemed to enjoy this more, but they might have been enjoying it simply being from Leroy, rather than the wine itself.
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2002 Charles Noellat Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers Flawed
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
From magnum. Flawed or just tired and slightly dirty?
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1989 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
From magnum. Ripe and rich but fully mature. Lots here with layered meat and spice and mushroom unfolding over the few sips I tasted (twice). There seemed to be a bit more earth and dirt than ideal, and maybe a very faint whiff of VA, but that was not too pronounced.
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1999 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Aux Murgers 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Alongside the 2001 vintage. Well spiced and slightly floral with intense black cherry and berry throughout. Elegant and subtle start, but this goes on and on, carried forward by silky structure. Much better today vs when last tried five years ago, today's bottle really showed both the Nuits and Vosne styles I like from this terroir in the best vintages.
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2001 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Aux Murgers 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Alongside the (much more interesting) 1999 vintage. Dense black fruit comes across as nearly backward, but not necessarily the stuffing to get better. Still, easy to enjoy now.
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2010 Domaine de L'Arlot Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos des Forêts St. Georges 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
From magnum. A very successful combination of red and black fruit with elegant textures, subtle spice and engaging balance. Whole cluster contributes lots here without dominating. I haven't had this wine since 2013, and it lives up to my very high expectations from just after release.
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2006 Domaine d'Eugénie Grands-Echezeaux 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru
From magnum, opened and double decanted several hours earlier. Ripe and fleshy cherry, slightly more black than red, with lots of spice but also still showing a bit too much new oak. Very good density, this clearly showed its Grand Cru pedigree, but in their first vintage, d'Eugenie was less successful showcasing the wine's Vosne terroir.
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2013 Patz & Hall Pinot Noir Jenkins Ranch
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Small glass from magnum. This would have shown very differently if not following so much older Burgundy, but this held its own in its own right. Ripe red fruit on the slightly sweet side with good depth, ending with good enough brightness.
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2004 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
I've had great bottles, mediocre bottles, and flawed bottles of this wine, and tonight's was in the middle. Very rich, bold and brash, but less complex or layered at this age than I expected.
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1978 Gaja Barbaresco Flawed
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
From magnum, this was one of today's biggest disappointments. Tired and maybe some VA hints that made this seem completely lackluster.
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2005 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili 92 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
Small glass from magnum. Charming floral start with spice, leather and red cherry. Similar flavors with good weight, better balance and an engaging, elegant finish. Better than I recall from several years ago.
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1968 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia Flawed
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
I recall adoring this wine when last tasted (20 years ago?), but tonight's was the rare tired bottle of López de Heredia.
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1946 Bodegas Toro Albala Don PX Convento Selección 96 Points
Spain, Andalucía, Montilla-Moriles
Small glass, Rich milk chocolate and molasses with sweet spice. Unctuous, syrupy textures without seeming too sweet. Lots here. A joy to sip.
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1954 Château d'Yquem 89 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Apparently an imperfect bottle/ cork, but certainly still very tasty with dried apricot and caramel apple, showing just enough freshness.
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1958 Warre Porto Vintage 88 Points
Portugal, Douro, Porto
Lighter than I expected, still certainly sweet and elegantly layered, even if not as complex as I hoped.
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1957 Monimpex Tokaji Aszú Essencia 96 Points
Hungary, Tokaji
I brought this for my friend's retirement at the age of 65, so with 1957 as his vintage. As great as previous bottles, with some fresh fresh and dried apricot, sweet spice and poached pear. Very sweet without anything cloying.
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