ESTG Year-End Tasting

Another year and another year-end tasting.

Some bubbles as we all arrived.

• NV Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Réserve

  France, Champagne

  This is really one of the best values in NV Champagne. Slightly toasty, wonderfully brisk. Gulpable.

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• 2012 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Millésimé

  France, Champagne

  A step up from the Heidsieck NV.

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• 2004 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Chetillons

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Left me sort of flat. Really stressing the acid but not a lot of depth or complexity.

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A first flight of Burgundy to get us started.

• 1999 Domaine Michel Gaunoux Pommard 1er Cru Les Grands Épenots

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru

  Potpourri on the nose. Palate is tough and unyielding at this stage.

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• 2005 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Corton-Perrières Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  Mmm, dusky, dark, brooding, cedar.

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• 2005 Mongeard-Mugneret Echezeaux

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

  Intense cherry element. Earthy, mineral. Really pretty, really young and very promising.

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Then a heavyweight flight of Faiveley.

• 1999 Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  A bretty and rusty edge. Bloody. Never fully opens. Quite mineral and austere. Very pure.

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• 2005 Faiveley Chambertin-Clos de Bèze

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  Mmm, deep, earthy, love the nose, really pops, really dark.

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• 2005 Faiveley Latricières-Chambertin

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Mmm, some pine forest on the nose. Seriously closed. A pure, tannic, mineral core. It slowly gains some florals, but it just wants time, much more time.

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And wrapping up the Burgundy with Vogüé.

• 2001 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru

  Wow. Burgundy. Epitome. Unreal palate, structured but giving. Chewy, baked earth, mouthwatering and juicy. Still some chewy tannins, long and silky with fantastic red fruit.

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• 2007 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru

  More mineral and austere than the 2001 tasted alongside at first impression. But it opened up more easily to savory, umami-laden core. Just silky and easy to enjoy. It has considerably less depth than the 2001, more to drink now or sooner.

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Bordeaux from the 50's, two from the "magic cellar."

• 1955 Château Figeac

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  FC-OJ on the nose. Fairly tired, red fruit. Very mineral with excellent acidity.

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• 1955 Château Lafite Rothschild

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Wow the nose! Tobacco and cocoa! Insanely pale in color, almost iced tea, but it has tons of life. Really typical flavors.

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• 1957 Château Latour Grand Vin

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  A moldy edge on the nose. Crazy, crazy dark color. Edgy, mint, strong acidity, red fruit. Some caramel. Very vigorous. Lots of Latour structure. There was some debate as to whether this was corked, but no way in my book. Just a bit of a moldy edge that blew off for the most part.

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Some young monsters from 1990.

• 1990 Château Troplong Mondot

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Mmmm, exotic. Some VA. Powerful wine, fig and chocolate. A bit of alcohol showing. Insane raspberry core and killer tannins still. This is a rather extreme and eclectic 1990.

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• 1990 Château Beausejour (Duffau Lagarrosse)

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Insane wine, utterly insane. Unreal structure. Raspberry, truffle, mineral, just wow, wow, wow! So fresh, so mineral. A powerful and dense core, tobacco, graphite, cherry, truly exceptional wine.

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• 1990 Château Cheval Blanc

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Mmmm coffee. Gorgeously pure red fruit. Graphite. Really fresh and special. Mmm, bloody, juicy, so much fruit, super silky, ripe and long.

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And dessert.

• 2002 Alois Kracher Noble Wine #12 Zwischen den Seen

  Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee

  Deep, dark brown. Intense botrytis. It still packs the acid but is almost gelatinous in texture. It is shocking how rich this is.

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• 1977 Fonseca Porto Vintage

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Mmm, delicate and precise. People argued whether this had the stuffing, but I love when Port get lighter and more precise and focused with age.

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Thanks again everyone for an amazing dinner and tasting!