Last 2 days of 2022 Naples-palooza

WE couldn't let the year end without one more blow out tasting. Together with Paul, Mark, Carol, and finally was able to meet HMC and Lori in real life (vs zoom)

Mark dropped us at the hotel and we (mostly he and I as Paul was sick so not really participating) drank these two bottles. Both very special.

• 2019 Faethm / Fingers Crossed Two Become One White 96 Points

  USA, California

  (12/30/2022)

  The first wine of the weekend and maybe one of the best. Like most people, I only had one of these and debated holding or drinking. But this was a worthy occasion. Opened right away after arriving so cloudy in color, I hope not from the travel and straw colored. Incredible intense nose of florals and fruits. White flowers, Chamomile, mint and yes, as Mark mentions, butterscotch. Long long finish. Just got better and better over the 3 hours we were drinking it. This seems like it would age really well, but alas...

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• 2005 Seven Stones Cabernet Sauvignon 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

  (12/30/2022)

  Brought by Mark to our quick hotel tasting on day 1 and wow this was good. My first Seven Stones. It seemed perfectly integrated and probably right at peak. You would never guess the +15% alcohol, it was all so smooth. Great texture of rasberry nectar, soft shoe leather and also fruit rollups. Red fruited with a long finish. What a way to start the trip.

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A wonderful afternoon and evening drinking these stunning wines --6 of us--Paul, Carol, Mark and the HMC's. So much wine for 6 people.

• NV Alfred Tritant Champagne Grand Cru l'Instant Blanc de Blancs 92 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  (12/31/2022)

  Very nice Champagne supplied by Mark. Toasty honeyed nose but then fruitier on the palate Very fine and persistent mousse. A great find!

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• 1996 Château Montrose 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  (12/31/2022)

  One of my top 3 wines of the weekend. Thank you Mark for opening. Slow oxed nearly all day but very open by the time I tried it first (had been open and recorked the night before). Then continued to improve with 9 hr slow ox. Spectacular nose, just so beautiful and nuanced. Earty, sweet pipe tobacco, saddle leather red cherries a hint of vanilla and white pepper on the palate. Tannins fading but acid is holding strong, great with our steak dinner.

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• 2014 Nine Suns 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

  (12/31/2022)

  For me, this was one of the most disappointing wines of the weekend. Brought by me. Very closed on opening. Decanted for 6 hours. Alcohol very predominant on the nose and palate. Not so smooth and slightly bitter on the finish. Tannin and acid seems out of blanace. Great ripe fruit redeems it somewhat, raspberries and boysenberries, but at 275 via Realm was not a great QPR. Prefer the Realm wines.
  
  Saved 4 oz for day 2 and the bitterness is gone. Much smoother and better but not much more than (good) fruit going on here.

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• 2015 Kamen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Kashmir Cuvee 96 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Moon Mountain District

  (12/31/2022)

  One of my top 3 of the evening if not the wine of the weekend, courtesy of Mark. My notes aren't very useful, just effusive about how much I love it. Dark fruited, a touch of something stemmy or savory herbal (in a good way), smooth tannins and plenty of acid. Just so good and gone so quickly. Drank well from pnp

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• 2019 Institution Cabernet Sauvignon Houyi Vineyard 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (12/31/2022)

  Another slightly disappointing wine showing, brought by me. I had this at the winery last year and loved it, it was pnp then so I don't think there was any difference in preparation to account for the bottle variance.
  Very funky on opening, even after 2 hours in the decanter, but blew off quickly with some swirling in the glass. We debated whether it was brett but I'm really not sure. It was almost like a rocks funk which tastes different than something brett infected. And it disappeared completely with a swirl.
  This wine was very good and interesting, but my expectations were so high after the last tasting. I almost felt like this could have been a Syrah rather than a cab--usually the opposite problem in Cali!!
  This had ripe red fruit, butterscotch and many nuances.
  Day 2 not really drinking any better, if anything less fresh and less complex.

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• 2018 Arkenstone Cabernet Sauvignon Amoenus 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (12/31/2022)

  Brought by HMC and my first Amoenus. This is a very nice wine but still distinctively '2018.' It is approachable and drinkable now, but you can tell that it will only become more integrated and better with cellar time. Sweet plummy fruit and nice acidity. Lots of upside to my score but not there yet. I think we pnp'd so may not have done it justice on the decant but it was drinking nicely without

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• 2012 Trespass Vineyard Cabernet Franc 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (12/31/2022)

  This wine is holding up nicely and the fruit is still going strong. Unlike Mark, I found this quite astringent and tannic with a bitter note on the back end at pnp. Better after some more air.

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• 2009 Morlet Family Vineyards La Proportion Dorée 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  (12/31/2022)

  This is a quality wine, but the style is not for me. Floral and fruity on the nose, but almost to perfumed. Intense flavors and there is a lot to like, but I would rather just drink a white burg.

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What the heck? We already had so much to drink but they kept coming. Some of us did not make it to ring in the New Year.

• 2003 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

  (12/31/2022)

  The third of my top 3 wines of the weekend. This was a backup bottle from Mark's cellar (like we really needed a backup bottle, geesh I can't believe how many bottles we finished). Surprisingly great on Pnp. Still ripe red fruits and graphite, very smooth. Much more going on than just fruit but my notes at this point in the evening can't do it justice! Such a quality wine full of intensity and complexity.

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• 2010 Merryvale Profile

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (12/31/2022)

  No rating only because I had way too much to drink at this point and my notes only say Cherry nose and amazing.
  I know I liked it very much and we pnp'd it and it was ready to go.

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• 2007 Château d'Yquem 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  (12/31/2022)

  I just found my tasting note from last year on this and it is word for word the same as what I scrawled last night. I sense a pattern here:
  "Just when we couldn’t possible drink any more, Mark pulls this one out. Honey, apricot, Orange rind, honeysuckle and melon. Probably wasted on us drunks but greatly appreciated and enjoyed. Just beautiful."
  
  All still holds true, thank you Mark for sharing this special wine. Again!

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• NV Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Cuvée de Réserve 93 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  (12/31/2022)

  I seemed to like this more than many of the other reviewers. Very clean, intense nose, more acidity than our earlier champagne and flavors of ripe apple. I forgot to check disgorge date

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Some amazing wines, some disappointments, great times with friends, I am glad we made time for this quick trip.
Happy New Year and here's to some more great bottles in 2023

Edited to say I just realized that I had 4 top 3 wines. You can imagine how that happened!!!