Saturday get-together
Tasted Monday, June 27, 2022 by csimm with 344 views
Introduction
Thanks to all for their generous contributions. A great night of good folks, good fare, and of course, fantastic wine!
Tasted Monday, June 27, 2022 by csimm with 344 views
Thanks to all for their generous contributions. A great night of good folks, good fare, and of course, fantastic wine!
NV Jerome Blin Champagne Cuvée Apogée Extra Brut 93 Points
France, Champagne
This is a bristly showing at first pass, with notable tension and energy spitting prickly pear, red apple skin and flesh, copper, bitter lemon rind, lemon zest, black cherry water, and ginger flavors that skip across the palate, kinda like an aerator lightly tilling the top of the tongue. With air, the tension keeps going and the tingly sparkle becomes heightened. There is a twiggy undertone that reminds me this is Pinot Meunier. The 4g/L dosage helps this from becoming too rustic. A nice wake-me-up for the palate given the heavy hitting going on from the biggin Cabs being consumed earlier.
2013 base. 4g/L dosage. 07/2017 disgorgement. 100% Pinot Meunier.
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2018 Marie Courtin Champagne Presence 94 Points
France, Champagne
There is truly a unique succulence that comes from the bowels of this wine when initially you don’t think it is going to be anything more than stark and shrill. The first sip is always a little bit of a calibration. “Oh ya, this is Marie Courtin. This isn’t, say…Krug!” Yellow and white everything flavors, like a snowy Christmas in a lemon snow globe: Chalk, white and yellow stone fruit, and every part of a whole lemon. Pure, crystalline, and clean.
2018 vintage. 0 g/L dosage. 01/2021 disgorgement. 100% Chardonnay.
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2017 Nicolas Maillart Champagne Grand Cru Jolivettes 92 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
A more needly showing than the previous bottle just a few months ago, with any complexity or breadth held at bay by the sharp and edgy stone/chalk and twiggy? elements firing off behind the foxhole at the overly juvenile black cherry core that has little chance of advancing on the skirmish line. It provides cut for BBQ oysters in a way that is utilitarian and helpful for the food, but beyond that, it is still in arms-crossed mode right now. Leave these alone for at least a few years. In contrast, the 2016 Jolivettes carries much more depth, weight, and appealing texture than its younger sibling at this point. Try the 2017 again in 2025.
2017 vintage. 0g/L dosage. 07/2021 disgorgement. 100% Pinot Noir.
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2017 Aesthete Wines Sauvignon Blanc Barrel Aged Dry Stack Vineyard 89 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley
Where there are suitable lime, lemon, grass, and kiwi flavors offering a degree of pleasure here, I am just not getting much in the refreshing department. The finish is significant the same way Blockbuster video is still significant, with little uptick to hold interest and go in for another sip. It’s just not really there; it is inspiring as something to drink before you move on to the other wines that will be (or, better be!) more captivating. I like to geek-out on Sauvignon Blanc and some of the unique flavors that can rise from the different versions of the varietal, but bottom line it’s gotta be lively and refreshing, otherwise, what’s the point of Sauvignon Blanc?!
A kinda ok-ish showing that quite frankly was a shrugging-up-one-shoulder humdrum exercise for me. ‘Meh’ applies here. The 2016 is great. This 2017 is… [insert whatever synonym best describes listening to C-SPAN].
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2004 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault Clos de la Barre 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
Showing some advanced nuttiness and demi-sec deep lemon flavors, but certainly not without requisite freshness and energy. There is a nice bead of acidity that keeps it all moving along, with faint white rock notes peeking through the otherwise honeyed citrus core. Almond skin, yellow roses, ripe yellow pear, and mango all make an appearance here as well. This is in a very good spot for my palate given the freshness-depth-complexity balance that I need in my Meursault before they get too reduced, falling off into fat camp and becoming overly globular.
A very cool contribution from AaronMaxwell! Always a treat to sample any white Burg that has some age on it (and no premox! – Super bonus!)
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2017 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
On initial opening, this was not really giving up the goods the way I would have liked. Compared to other showings of this wine (this vintage and others), this particular bottle was a bit linear and almost brooding at first. I could recognize the purity, acidity, and overall body of the wine, but the flavor train just passed by the main stop and forgot to pick up its mid-palate passengers. Going back a few times over the course of a handful of hours helped to get a better bead on this wine, but it then became cooler, which didn’t help to un-mute the flavors. Setting aside a particular glass of this later on and allowing it to warm up slightly provided much better expression and complexity of the yellow citrus and travertine flavors I’m accustomed to experiencing with the Mouchere. Revisited the next day, I found more power and heft in frame, with additional (much needed) weighty notes of yellow pear and honeydew. Still, I seemed to have completely missed the electricity here – My last bottle sampled was back in 2019, where it was primary of course, but was on-fire when it came to persistence. The execution of flavor was more conventional with this bottle. All that said, I found it to be a solid wine, just not a particularly inspiring one this go-around. Let’s wait and see what happens here in a few years for the re-visit in hopes it better finds its true expression. 93-94? points this go-around. Solid wine with a less solid showing (given my high expectations for this wine).
Day 2 update: Much improved showing after 1/4 of the remaining bottle was left for 24 hours at 52 degrees and revisited. More depth; more complexity; more layers; longer finish. More everything. A sigh of relief here, as I was a bit bummed out by its good-not-great performance on the initial pull. Hold for a few years.
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2018 Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Clos de la Chateniere Blanc Vieilles Vignes 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
Though not as strikingly brilliant as previous performances, this bottle still had a nice uptick of energy and tension, with chalky minerality jump-roping with the white and higher-register yellow citrus and stone fruits. A more classical profile here. Those wanting for more succulence should certainly venture elsewhere. The execution is strait-laced and somewhat linear, but the path is sound and solid. It is a very “correct” showing. Complexity doesn’t reveal its true hand; yet with a bit of air, the expansion is forwarded in a way that nicely propels a few layers of flavoring that are worthy of another sip. If you’re shucking oysters and slamming them raw (which we were), this wine is a solid accompaniment. Otherwise, as a standalone, the presentation can come off a bit sanitized.
The 2018 Lamy Chateniere is sealed with DIAM, so I have to treat these as wines meant and able to age so as to best extract more potential depth, breadth, and complexity down the road. Note to self: Leave these alone for another 5 years.
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2016 Morlet Family Vineyards Chardonnay Coup de Coeur
USA, California, Sonoma County
I’ve written quite a bit on this wine over the years. I mean, if you want quintessential domestic Chardonnay with all the quality marshmallowy lemon curd citrus peachy honey cream notes you could hope for, it’s all here wrapped up into one neat package. It’s unadulterated, balanced, not cloying, and is able to show a solid purity of ripe fruit in a way that doesn’t flaunt excess. What it lacks in heightened tension and perceived acidity, it makes up for in downright flavor. There too is a subtle floral component that adds needed lift. Finishes chewy, juicy, saturated, moist, drenched, salacious, ripe……… I mean, you get the picture…
I preferred this vintage a couple of years ago when it had more speed and energy, so I’ll be killing these sooner than later at this point. The succulence is undeniable, but if you’re searching for Southern Baptist church choir exuberance with all the hand clapping and Holy Ghost bellowing, this is not that wine. This is more of a before confession type of wine, where you kinda feel guilty for roaming around in downtown Reno with it that extra night and should’ve just gone home to your family.
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2019 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon 98 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
Tense and coiled up on the initial pass, with crunchy blackberry seed, asphalt, coffee grounds, and gravelly soil. The profile is darker and blacker fruited than how I typically experience young Scarecrow, which I find immediately compelling, as the black spectrum stylistically is my general preference. With swirling and some small revisits over the course of a couple of hours, this starts to hit the sweet spot for me, with the quivering tension keeping a captivating stronghold on the delivery but while also allowing the fruit to expand a bit more and offer blackberry, dark cassis, and wet cave wall stone flavors to emerge. It’s edgy at first, but then of course I have to go in for another sip. There is a James Hetfield “…And Justice For All” thing going on here that kicks out a deliberate strum of emphatic (but thoughtful and precise) Metallica power chords and black metal sonic thumping that I totally dig.
After about 4-5 hours in the decanter, in light switch fashion, this thing lays on its back like a big wet happy dog, exposes its pet-me belly, and offers up all the goods. The expansion is strikingly notable, as is the added juicy depth. The fruit on the front end becomes more gushing, with a mid-palate that starts to hit at a savory cadence, finishing fruity and encompassing.
When debating the wine(s) of the night, the Scarecrow was at the forefront. Somewhat controversially, I personally like the window just before it switched fully on. I favor the energy and intensity that makes for enhanced speed and scaffolding. I loved both “versions” of this wine in the two very distinct stages of its consumption, but I wanted to tug just slightly rearward on its outpouring and leash it back to the heeling it was doing somewhat before. I think I was in the minority on this little caveat. That aside, the group was impressed with the journey this wine was taking throughout the evening.
A huge thanks to bsumoba for contributing this beauty. A compelling wine now and one destined to perhaps be my favorite Scarecrow yet. 2019 is a killer vintage for this producer. 98+ points, with the likelihood of a triple digit score with another 7-10 years of cellaring (at least that’s what a prudent oenophile would do). Me? I’ll drink this stuff way too early…and love it… Do what cha like!
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2019 Arrow & Branch Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch 98 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
A quartet of VHR wines side-by-side (among 20 other wines that night):
2018 VHR
2018 VHR Extended Barrel Age
2019 VHR
2019 Arrow & Branch VHR
TN: This has added an extra layer since my having it last year, with black fruit providing intense depth while intermingling with a dark cassis note heightening the incredible lift. This is striking juice, making a compelling argument for the top spot of the four VHRs sampled that night. Both the 2019 VHR and the 2019 Arrow & Branch VHR were very similar, with the A&B hitting an extra bass chord that its brother from another mother 2019 VHR host didn’t carry. That said, I loved them both equally.
GENERAL: In the end for me, in this small sample and even smaller window of time, the 2019 VHRs rule the roost as far as I am concerned… and no, this is not one of those, “the newest vintage is the best vintage,” type of thing. Though I have generally found 2019 in Napa to be a notch up from the 2018 vintages, the difference in intensity and concentration between the two 2018 VHRs and the two 2019 VHRs in this particular sampling window was palpable, with the 2019s ticking the one-up meter on essentially every aspect of wine exhibition: complexity, depth, energy, focus, acidity, and tannin refinement. I mean, all four VHRs were all worthy of devoted tender and heaps of demonstrative gushing, with only wine-geek splitting hairs and miniscule squabbling to be had as to the preferential doting on one wine over another.
Incidentally, Cristal2000 tried to sell me on this wine initially back before I bought it and I was hesitant. So, for you my friend, YOU WERE RIGHT. Man, I hate being wrong...... what else is new...
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2019 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch 98 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
A quartet of VHR wines side-by-side (among 20 other wines that night):
2018 VHR
2018 VHR Extended Barrel Age
2019 VHR
2019 Arrow & Branch VHR
TN: A decent amount of power here, so much so that initially I had an “Uh Oh” type of reaction where I thought I would be bombarded with a cascade of crazy fruit pummeling the palate and leaving it for dead. Not the case; as soon as the front end geared up for the nuclear attack I expected, it instantly dove right into a super glide that certainly didn’t lack for heft and oomph, but was able to masterfully spread out a billowing beast of flavor that captivates the senses and completely envelopes the palate. Dark black cherry, blackberry, bitter chocolate, deep cassis, and some soil notes are carried by a strong push of acidity and tannic energy, all culminating in a finish that revs back up the power (with a slight bit of booze) and continues barreling down the road with undulating persistence. This is a big and tannic beast, but it also carries with it an approachability that is super exciting. All of the authority is coupled with a refinement that 1) seems to be a product of the vintage in many ways, and 2) is obviously a testament to the craftsmanship of the wine itself.
There was a small sample of this left behind that was revisited on Day 2. Some of the booze came to the party more, washing over the fruit, which was still in super Yum mode, but with just a bit of distraction from the tinges of alcohol on the finish. I preferred this on Day 1. I preferred the 2018 VHR on Day 2. Overall, the 2019 VHR is certainly a wine to hold for the next decade if you have the patience.
This was neck and neck alongside the 2019 Arrow and Branch VHR. Great wines.
GENERAL: In the end for me, in this small sample and even smaller window of time, the 2019 VHRs rule the roost as far as I am concerned… and no, this is not one of those, “the newest vintage is the best vintage,” type of thing. Though I have generally found 2019 in Napa to be a notch up from the 2018 vintages, the difference in intensity and concentration between the two 2018 VHRs and the two 2019 VHRs in this particular sampling window was palpable, with the 2019s ticking the one-up meter on essentially every aspect of wine exhibition: complexity, depth, energy, focus, acidity, and tannin refinement. I mean, all four VHRs were all worthy of devoted tender and heaps of demonstrative gushing, with only wine-geek splitting hairs and miniscule squabbling to be had as to the preferential doting on one wine over another.
A special thanks to WBW for providing this and the 2018 VHR! Very generous indeed.
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2018 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch 97 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
A quartet of VHR wines side-by-side (among 20 other wines that night):
2018 VHR
2018 VHR Extended Barrel Age
2019 VHR
2019 Arrow & Branch VHR
TN: With a dark and brooding entry, the front end of the 2018 VHR was a rolling and deliberate push of dark berry fruit, bitter chocolate, spice, and some deep cassis. Where the speed picks up is just somewhere north of the mid-palate, where the acidity and tannins gear-up for the finish, with a surge of dark fruit, rock, and a red ferrous note that provided an extra tick of interest on the tail. Texture-wise, I found the 2018 VHR to have a slightly more rounded frame than the more formidable 2019. I slightly favored the 2019 over the 2018 for the former’s more concentrated and intense showing, but with a small sample on Day 2 of the 2018, my preference flipped. On the second day, the 2018 was incredibly balanced and seamless – though still a ticking time bomb of a monster wine. There was a mouthfeel in the 2018 that was much more resolved, allowing the flavors to self-identify with more delineation of flavor and not with just one big detonation.
My score on Day 1 for the 2018 was 96 points (a high mark to be sure), but I ended up at 97 points given the second day of evaluation. On the second day, it was a 98 honestly, if just taking that particular flash of time. Quite honestly, I’m not sure what a one-point numeric means once you’re in the high 90’s echelon, but at least you get a feel for where any given wine might be comparatively in terms of subjective preference.
GENERAL: In the end for me, in this small sample and even smaller window of time, the 2019 VHRs rule the roost as far as I am concerned… and no, this is not one of those, “the newest vintage is the best vintage,” type of thing. Though I have generally found 2019 in Napa to be a notch up from the 2018 vintages, the difference in intensity and concentration between the two 2018 VHRs and the two 2019 VHRs in this particular sampling window was palpable, with the 2019s ticking the one-up meter on essentially every aspect of wine exhibition: complexity, depth, energy, focus, acidity, and tannin refinement. I mean, all four VHRs were all worthy of devoted tender and heaps of demonstrative gushing, with only wine-geek splitting hairs and miniscule squabbling to be had as to the preferential doting on one wine over another.
A special thanks to WBW for providing this and the 2019 VHR!
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2018 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Extended Barrel Age Vine Hill Ranch 96 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
A quartet of VHR wines side-by-side (among 20 other wines that night):
2018 VHR
2018 VHR Extended Barrel Age
2019 VHR
2019 Arrow & Branch VHR
TN: Black cherry, dark cassis, blackberry, vanillin chocolate, spicy caramel cedar (almost like a wider-grain Hungarian oak influence in a heavier flavored Petite Sirah), and cardamom notes all rush to the palate in come-hither form, with a ripe and semi-sweet profile that instantly triggers the Yum factor and sends all of the senses into instant flavor orbit. Finishes with a cedary clip that is both vanillin sweet and slightly bitter, which brings the massive fruit into proper focus but also clips the tail ever so slightly. This wine has a “second finish” on it as well, where the fruit comes back into play and saturates the palate, which does well for the overall mouthfeel of the wine. This was probably the most gluttonous-showing of the Cabs we had that night. A very Bevan-esque showing, but with extra refinement kicked up to the ceiling.
Some in the room found this to be a more enhanced version of the 2018, while others were slightly divided on the differences, benefits, or even any difference between the two 2018s, and then also amongst the greater four VHRs on the table. I was somewhere in the middle of the pack I think, where I certainly found this to be a compelling wine but also wondered if the extended barrel aging had done much to improve the wine in any way, mainly because I thought the 2018 VHR on its own was a fabulous wine. The extended barrel aging certainly made for some slight differences between the two 2018s that were noticeable and noteworthy, but I found my style preference leaning toward the “standard” 2018 VHR due my perceived impressions of freshness, tension, focus, and purity of fruit that seemed slightly more masked by the wood in the extended barrel aged version. Preference aside, the wood (as fine and tasty as it is) was certainly more at the forefront than the 2018 with the standard barrel program.
GENERAL: In the end for me, in this small sample and even smaller window of time, the 2019 VHRs rule the roost as far as I am concerned… and no, this is not one of those, “the newest vintage is the best vintage,” type of thing. Though I have generally found 2019 in Napa to be a notch up from the 2018 vintages, the difference in intensity and concentration between the two 2018 VHRs and the two 2019 VHRs in this particular sampling window was palpable, with the 2019s ticking the one-up meter on essentially every aspect of wine exhibition: complexity, depth, energy, focus, acidity, and tannin refinement. I mean, all four VHRs were all worthy of devoted tender and heaps of demonstrative gushing, with only wine-geek splitting hairs and miniscule squabbling to be had as to the preferential doting on one wine over another.
A super generous contribution from bsumoba to add to the VHR lineup!
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2012 Harlan Estate 97 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
This is my fourth time with this wine, so I’ll just mention some particulars that I think might be noteworthy. This presented as advertised and expected for the most part, with a rich and chewy presentation that speaks to quality black and blue fruit and alluring texture. On the initial pop of the cork, the expression was somewhat muted, and it took a ton of swirling to finally get it into 3rd gear. Once it began to show some of its personality, the flavors began to meld (and melt) in a way that added to an improved mouthfeel. On first pass, it was not especially inviting or in balance, with a prominent cassis note dominating the flavor landscape over the blacker berry, earth, and spice notes. The final sips were the best, but I have to admit that it never fully blew past the stratosphere in a way I have experienced with previous bottles. A small disappointment to be sure, but not a catastrophic one.
The day before this event I would have recommended consumption now and within the next 5-7 years. I’ll take a more conservative route due to this latest experience – where I was given pause due to my impression that this bottle just needed more time to open (and no, not to make excuses for the wine). Bottom line, it was not a perfect showing. It was a good showing, but I can’t help but wonder if rushed/end of the night service had something to do with that. All the parts were there, but for me, they didn’t fully amalgamate the way the could (and should) have. I’ll try to hold remaining bottles to see what 15 years from vintage looks like.
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2006 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 95 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Though this showed some tertiary notes that more than hinted to the wine’s age, they certainly added to the layered complexity of the flavor profile of this wine. Black and red raspberry, Red and black currant, cherry, smashed plum in the sun, cassis, dry tobacco, cedar, tilled soil, and fungi notes all intermingle in a harmonious effort, forming a profile that is on the downswing on evolution in terms of freshness and tension, but completely resolved in balanced flavorings and overall execution. This is a smoking jacket kind of wine!
Thank you Dave_C for bringing some class to the party! :)
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2012 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 93 Points
USA, California, North Coast, Napa / Sonoma
An easy rider production of a Cabernet, with the softer contours of the 2012 vintage marrying with the now-ten-years-from-vintage maturity and resolution this wine brings to the table. A total food wine, and one that paired great with BBQ chicken sliders by the way! Notes of plush dark red berry fruit, woods spice, cedar, and earth. Round in the mouth, with a finish that quickly tapers off into a slightly earthy-grainy tail. The spice and cedar notes reappeared on the back end, gently stamping their impressions over the fruit, which subtly tapers off. Drink now.
Thank you Dave_C for this contribution!
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2015 Predecessor Cabernet Sauvignon Lorraine Red Lake Vineyard 94 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Oh this is a round and fruity Cab that just says drink me now and love me for who I am. Don’t ask me to take your math test. Don’t ask me to recite Shakespeare. Just hold my hand, take me dancing, and tell me all the good things on earth in a Rom-Com kind of way that make me feel like I just binge watched When Harry Met Sally – Ok, I’m dating myself. Perhaps, it’s like binge watching Ted Lasso. Regardless, the jubilation of mixed berries, mountain earth, potpourri, and unicorn hugs make for a Skip to My Lou experience. It’s a solid Howell Mountain. What’s not to like?!
Thanks to AaronMaxwell for bringing this to the group. I was unfamiliar with this producer and was fortunate to have the opportunity to check it out
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2019 Sine Qua Non Grenache Distenta I 95 Points
USA, California, Central Coast
Similar notes to my last recent sampling. I’ll just add that this displayed a cocktail cassis element that I was hoping would blow off a little faster than it did. This took some time to get into a glide and was advertising that it truly needs time to fully come together. All that said, the purity of fruit, and the ripe, delicious presentation of flavor is certainly on the right track. As mentioned in my previous note earlier this month, it is surging with flavor, but they haven’t found a way to integrate in full harmony just yet (to no surprise; it’s a 2019 SQN!). I’ll wait another 7+ years for the more savory and meatier notes to emerge. Right now, it’s kinda brawny and slightly angular on the finish. I like the wildness of the red berry fruit, but I’m gonna hold off for the dance party to settle down a bit… I am getting older these days, ya know…
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1998 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 92 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Pours a tawny color, fooling you into thinking this is going to be all funk and no flash. On the palate, this is surprisingly sound and correct, with obviously advanced notes of muddled strawberry, plums, leather, toffee, red currant, and earth. Despite its age, the freshness here is still on point. I don’t know that I’d lay these down for another half-century or anything, but if I was into chewing cigars and watching old Clint Eastwood westerns, I’d be all about this wine. Acid and scaffolding were also all in place. I guess when you evaluate a wine like this, you kinda treat it like an old man, pointing out the things you are thankful are still in proper order. “Well, at least my hip ain’t broke yet.”
This bottle is a good reference point for aged CdP. Though I like a little more meat on the bones when I look to CdP generally, this was a fantastic representation of how a little age can make a wine a whole lot more interesting in terms of tertiary flavoring complexity.
Thanks to AaronMaxwell on this one!
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2001 Château Rieussec 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Though I’m typically not a Sauternes aficionado on the regular, who could pass up the opportunity to check this little beauty out, from the 2001 vintage no less. As hoped, this was a succulent monkey, with all the honeyed apricot, grilled lemon, and peach flavorings one would want to be blessed with in a dessert wine. There is a good bead of acidity that keeps everything honest and fresh, with no trace of gumminess or cloying heaviness. Light on its feet, with a canned peach flavor that continues to undulate on the palate without ever getting into syrup mode. Finishes with a candied citrus note that, again, isn’t too sweet, and does everything to provide lift and character.
Pairs perfectly…and I mean perfectly, with fresh pineapple, which just happened to be sitting right in front of us when we sampled the Rieussec. A fabulous showing, and even better than the sample I had a year ago.
Thanks to bsumoba for this! And thanks for bringing the pineapple too. Score!
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