Bookclub--All Wines Tasted Blind

Foretti's in Corona Del Mar
Tasted Thursday, September 7, 2023 by Frank Murray III with 90 views

Flight 1 (4 Notes)

  • 2008 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Rare

    France, Champagne

    The wood used shows up in the wine. In the aromatic, a shoe polish, creosote thing, which isn't a real good way to summarize it but I'm trying. It's just a mix of reduction and something with a toasted, reduced, shoe polish note. Lemon dominant, fleshy and more plush in texture. Licorice and toast in the finish, along with a churned butter note.

    Post a Comment / 5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2008 Doyard Champagne Grand Cru Les Lumières Grand Cru Extra Brut

    France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

    Disgorged October 2022 (147 months on the lees!), with 2/3rds Chard and the rest Pinot Noir. My initial reaction was Pinot Noir dominant, it just gave off the structure and intensity I usually get in Pinot Noir dominant champagne. There is a cool richness, impressive in how concentrated this shows. Light lemon, long finish that is marked by citrus and tang.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut

    France, Champagne

    When we first poured this around the table, it seemed lean, coiled, very powerful but shut down. Some creaminess tried to make it through the wine but the minerally note was overtaking the wine. Savory apple, tangerine and citrus rind, seemingly young. But, with air and patience, this really softened a lot. The tangerine persisted and then a liquified minerality is the best way to describe the finish. Needs air, but in turn, this drank just fine for me once the air had done its good work. Lovely.

    Post a Comment / 9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2008 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée

    France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

    June 2015 disgorgement. As usual, the 80/20 split of Chard/Pinot Noir. My initial reaction was stone fruit, what I wrote down as tangy peach. Was thinking, hmmm, is this Meunier? Then blood orange and golden apple and lime chew/candy with saline. Fairly open textured with a spicy finish. Like with the 2008 Cristal we had alongside, the Coeur de Cuvee expanded with air, softening to show the chalk, a sweet lime and a lemony goodness. And like with the Cristal, I found both wines to drink just fine once they were honored with an hour of air. Can this age some more? I think so, but I believe it is drinking great right now, too. I have 2 left and will drink one for sure over the next year to share with my group, then save the other to age along with my 2004 and 2006.

    Post a Comment / 4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 2 (2 Notes)

  • 2013 Rhys Pinot Noir Alpine Hillside

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Been a while since I had one of these. The pairing of this fight was both the 2013 Hillside H/Shoe and Alpine, and served blind, which was a smart way to contrast these wines and omit any table bias. Juicy, herb tinged with blackberry, and some dsark cranberry, along with a leathery/bergamot mixing with some cherry. A couple palates at the table said there may have been some band-aid/brett in the wine, but I wasn't picking it up.

    Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2013 Rhys Pinot Noir Horseshoe Hillside

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Been a while since I had one of these. The pairing of this fight was both the 2013 Hillside H/Shoe and Alpine, and served blind, which was a smart way to contrast these wines and omit any table bias. Man, this had me thinking burgundy. I was wowed by what was here. Juicy, earthy, blue toned, black tea with a gorgeous concentration and what I wrote in my notes was impeccable balance. And yet, there is still plenty of complementary structure in the finish. Just a wow wine for me and very impressive.

    Post a Comment / 6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 3 (2 Notes)

  • 2013 Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

    Man, this stuff is just awesome. And this is coming from a place in my drinking journey where thinking of having Napa Cab is just not my thing anymore. Thankfully, this was served blind so I had to judge what was here. Dark, chewy and dense with an irony feel when first poured. Inky, charcoal and mineral with great structure and just medium weight (at least to me). Power with balance is what my notes say with an irony finish, and a wine that is gonna age for a long time. But, at 10 years now from vintage, this is one of the very best Cabs I have had in a very long time. Bravo.

    Read 2 Comments / Post a Comment / 6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2013 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

    USA, California, North Coast, Napa / Sonoma

    Served blind next to to the 2013 Outpust True, which just floored me as to how good that wine is showing and what lies ahead for it. So, given that wine was flighted right next to it, and while this Pride was good, it was outclassed by the True. Inky, with far more aromatic ripeness coming through than the True. Concentrated with dark berry and black licorice. This wasn't goopy or oak flushed, but it just wasn't to the superlative degree of the True.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

×
×