Laid in chalk cellars 2017. Served double blind. Clearly a well-made good quality champagne, with a slight toasted note and a clear mix of chardonnay and pinot (some brightness from the chardonnay, the richer elements from the pinot). Not too old given the relatively fresh acidity, this had me thinking it was something along the lines of a 2004 vintage champagne.
Served double blind. Great balance of pyrazines and dried fruits on the nose. Pencil shavings too. On the palate, both red and black fruit, somewhat sweet, and very well balanced with the acidity and tannins. Almost certainly a dead ringer for a great left bank wine. Clearly outstanding cabernet. My 1st, group's 1st.
Served double blind. High-toned alcohol and aldehydes on the nose here. Darker fruit, clearly modern in style, with much more oak than necessary. Sticks out in this lineup, especially for its prickly and bitter tannins. My 10th, group's 4th.
Served double blind. Some barnyard on the nose, with too much bruised and brown fruit. The palate is drying and rustic, backwards and almost too structural. Feels like it's oxidizing a little bit. My 6th, group's 10th.
Served double blind. Some dirty, mulchy notes on the nose, with some oxidative elements as well. More red fruit, and a little bit plummy, leading me to think this is merlot-heavy, especially with a relative plusher texture. Still fairly tannic, but reasonably balanced at this point. My 5th, group's 3rd.
Served double blind. Lots and lots of pyrazine on the nose here. Feels too lean, without a roundness and weight on the palate, leading me to think this is an off/very cold vintage where the grapes didn't reach proper ripeness. Very high acid is another piece of evidence in that direction. My 8th, group's 7th.
Served double blind. Clearly and older wine with its slightly mulchy aromas make me think this is probably merlot heavy again. Coarse in texture and quite disjointed, this reminds me of the terminal stage of a Parkerized wine. Clearly some oxidation going on as well. My 9th, group's 11th.
Served double blind. An interesting wine with plenty of dried cherries on the nose and a slight herbal element too. The palate has a strawberry note that is pretty interesting. Moderate tannins with good freshness (this wine clearly was younger than most others) and reasonably pleasant balance too. My 3rd, group's 5th.
Served double blind. Intense pyrazine with some Cordier funk to it -- I was almost certain this was Gruaud Larose given its charmless structure and complete lack of any ornamentation. Impressive in its stature but clearly a wine not meant to provide any pleasure (like Gruaud). My 7th, group's 9th.
Served double blind. A charmless, heavy-handed wine. A bit of smoke and a bit of that TCA/Cordier aroma. Clearly evocative of a big vintage of Gruaud Larose, this lacks any fruit and just tries to overwhelm you with its structure. Unpleasantly heavy, dull, and lacking fruit, this is not an interesting wine to drink at all. My 11th, group's 8th.
Served double blind. Plummy, dark fruit on the nose, with a sweeter/riper tinge and a little baking spice as well. On the palate, some clear pencil shaving notes. This feels like it could still benefit from a little more aging time. I guessed mid-1990s Bordeaux here. My 4th, group's 6th.
Served double blind. An interesting nose with a little bit of oak funk on the nose. A mix of red and black fruit, with a touch of the herbaceousness that comes with American oak (and for that reason I thought that this might have been a Ridge wine). Nice intensity and depth of fruit here. My 2nd, group's 2nd.
NV Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Réserve 90 Points
France, Champagne
Laid in chalk cellars 2017. Served double blind. Clearly a well-made good quality champagne, with a slight toasted note and a clear mix of chardonnay and pinot (some brightness from the chardonnay, the richer elements from the pinot). Not too old given the relatively fresh acidity, this had me thinking it was something along the lines of a 2004 vintage champagne.
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1994 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Served double blind. Great balance of pyrazines and dried fruits on the nose. Pencil shavings too. On the palate, both red and black fruit, somewhat sweet, and very well balanced with the acidity and tannins. Almost certainly a dead ringer for a great left bank wine. Clearly outstanding cabernet. My 1st, group's 1st.
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2005 Beringer Vineyards Merlot Bancroft Ranch 85 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Served double blind. High-toned alcohol and aldehydes on the nose here. Darker fruit, clearly modern in style, with much more oak than necessary. Sticks out in this lineup, especially for its prickly and bitter tannins. My 10th, group's 4th.
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1984 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 85 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Served double blind. Some barnyard on the nose, with too much bruised and brown fruit. The palate is drying and rustic, backwards and almost too structural. Feels like it's oxidizing a little bit. My 6th, group's 10th.
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1988 Beringer Vineyards Merlot Bancroft Ranch 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Served double blind. Some dirty, mulchy notes on the nose, with some oxidative elements as well. More red fruit, and a little bit plummy, leading me to think this is merlot-heavy, especially with a relative plusher texture. Still fairly tannic, but reasonably balanced at this point. My 5th, group's 3rd.
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1986 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 85 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Served double blind. Lots and lots of pyrazine on the nose here. Feels too lean, without a roundness and weight on the palate, leading me to think this is an off/very cold vintage where the grapes didn't reach proper ripeness. Very high acid is another piece of evidence in that direction. My 8th, group's 7th.
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1997 Beringer Vineyards Merlot Bancroft Ranch 85 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Served double blind. Clearly and older wine with its slightly mulchy aromas make me think this is probably merlot heavy again. Coarse in texture and quite disjointed, this reminds me of the terminal stage of a Parkerized wine. Clearly some oxidation going on as well. My 9th, group's 11th.
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2003 Beringer Vineyards Merlot Bancroft Ranch 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Served double blind. An interesting wine with plenty of dried cherries on the nose and a slight herbal element too. The palate has a strawberry note that is pretty interesting. Moderate tannins with good freshness (this wine clearly was younger than most others) and reasonably pleasant balance too. My 3rd, group's 5th.
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1982 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 85 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Served double blind. Intense pyrazine with some Cordier funk to it -- I was almost certain this was Gruaud Larose given its charmless structure and complete lack of any ornamentation. Impressive in its stature but clearly a wine not meant to provide any pleasure (like Gruaud). My 7th, group's 9th.
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1998 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 83 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Served double blind. A charmless, heavy-handed wine. A bit of smoke and a bit of that TCA/Cordier aroma. Clearly evocative of a big vintage of Gruaud Larose, this lacks any fruit and just tries to overwhelm you with its structure. Unpleasantly heavy, dull, and lacking fruit, this is not an interesting wine to drink at all. My 11th, group's 8th.
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1990 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Served double blind. Plummy, dark fruit on the nose, with a sweeter/riper tinge and a little baking spice as well. On the palate, some clear pencil shaving notes. This feels like it could still benefit from a little more aging time. I guessed mid-1990s Bordeaux here. My 4th, group's 6th.
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1995 Beringer Vineyards Merlot Bancroft Ranch 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Served double blind. An interesting nose with a little bit of oak funk on the nose. A mix of red and black fruit, with a touch of the herbaceousness that comes with American oak (and for that reason I thought that this might have been a Ridge wine). Nice intensity and depth of fruit here. My 2nd, group's 2nd.
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